A Korean student in Bacolod City is under observation for MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona-Virus), Dr. Carmela Gensoli, Bacolod City Health Office OIC, said yesterday.

The student who entered Bacolod on June 26 had fever, cough and a sore throat starting June 29 that are symptoms of MERS-CoV, she said.

The student was admitted at a private hospital and was transferred to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital yesterday for swabbing, she said.

The swab sample will be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Alabang, Muntinlupa, to determine whether the student has MERS-CoV, described as a fatal, influenza-like illness characterized by fever and cough, often with diarrhea.

Gensoli said the CHO is also tracing the companions of the Korean for monitoring to ensure that they are not displaying similar symptoms.

Dr. Julius Drilon, CLMMRH chief, said he was not aware of the Korean's admission at the regional hospital yet.

The CLMMRH is ready to handle MERS-CoV cases, he said.

He said a 4-year-old child was voluntarily admitted by his parents at the CLMMRH earlier because they had come from the Arabian Peninsula and he showed symptoms of MERS-CoV.

The child was discharged after a test showed that he was negative for MERS-CoV.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health announced yesterday the country is still MERS-CoV-free.

“We still do not have an active case of MERS-CoV,” Dr. Lyndon Lee-Suy, DOH spokesperson, said.

Lee-Suy said that negative result was revealed on the sputum tests conducted on the three foreigners, all South Korean nationals, who were tested at the RITM.

The three South Koreans were earlier considered as persons under investigations because they exhibited signs and symptoms of MERS-CoV, such as fever, cough and diarrhea, he said.

The three were referred by the Manila Doctor's Hospital after they sought consultation due to flu-like symptoms that they had experienced after their arrival here in the country last week.

There are 182 confirmed MERS-CoV cases with 33 deaths in South Korea, and this has become the largest outbreak of the virus outside of Saudi Arabia. About 2,600 people remain in quarantine.*CPG

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