Today, January 30, after long weeks of speculation and fear, the Philippines has now confirmed the first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in the country.
This story first appeared on news sites such as Rappler and ABS-CBN News.
In a news briefing by the Department of Health (DOH), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed that the country’s first confirmed 2019-nCov patient is one of the 29 people previously under investigation in the past days.
According to the Health Secretary, the patient is a 38-year old woman who traveled to the Philippines from Wuhan, China on January 21.
Following these reports, the Department of Health continues to remind and urge the public to practice proper hygiene, handwashing, and proper coughing etiquette.
(RELATED: What is a Coronavirus: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention)
The symptoms of a coronavirus are similar to that of a common cold: a cough, a sore throat, a runny nose, and maybe a fever and a headache. These symptoms can last for a few days. If your immune system is weak, you could also get bronchitis or pneumonia.
It may take a while for symptoms of the Wuhan virus to appear. Current patients have experienced a mild cough for about a week before having trouble breathing and then visiting the hospital because of it.
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