# 7779
The story is all over the Filipino press this morning (see here, here & here), all stemming from a press briefing provided today (Sept 17th) by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Raul Hernandez, where he announced the death of a Filipino nurse – working in Saudi Arabia – from the MERS coronavirus.
Hernandez also cites another Filipino as being hospitalized with the virus (reportedly acquired in the hospital while receiving dialysis), although a quick check of the DFA website turns up no printed announcement.
Trying to match these cases to the barebones reports we get from the Saudi MOH can be risky, but this may well be FluTrackers case #114 - Age 41, health care worker, Riyadh - Saudi Arabia Death reported on September 5th. As the age of the second Filipino is not provided, I’m unable to hazard a guess as to whether she has been previously reported.
Although it may not be connected, you may recall that last week Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh issued strenuous denials that a `Saudi nurse’ had died of MERS in their facility (see KUNA: Saudi Hospital Issues MERS Denial). Since the name of the hospital where these cases occurred is not provided, we’ll have to wait to see if they are one and the same.
Here is the coverage of this story from GMA News.
DFA confirms first Pinay coronavirus death in Saudi
By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR September 17, 2013 5:48pm
A 41-year-old female Filipino nurse died of MERS coronavirus in Saudi Arabia last month, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.
The Filipino, whose identity was not disclosed, is the first reported fatality from the Philippines. She died at a hospital in Riyadh last August 29.
A medical report obtained by the Philippine Embassy says the deceased “tested positive for the coronavirus before her death,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told a press briefing.
The hospital’s VIP ward supervisor said prior to her death, the Filipina went to the United States for a vacation on July 13. She returned to Riyadh on July 19 and reported for work on July 21.
In mid-August, she complained of fever and coughing and developed respiratory distress. She was put on a ventilator on Aug. 22.
Two days later, she was diagnosed with severe pneumonia and had to be transferred to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
