# 9715
As expected on Friday (see Philippines: 11 Contacts Of MERS Case Symptomatic, Undergoing Tests) most of the close contacts of the MERS infected Filipino nurse recently returned from Saudi Arabia have tested negative for the virus, although they will be required to stay under home quarantine with daily monitoring for another nine days.
One contact – a HCW at the hospital where the index patient was admitted – is showing symptoms and has changes on her lung x-rays that are suggestive of MERS, and is being described by the press as a either a `probable’ case, or more accurately, a PUI or Patient Under Investigation.
Two media reports.
Laguna health worker seen as 'probable' Mers-CoV case
MANILA -- One of the 11 individuals who had close contact with the Filipina nurse afflicted with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus (Mers-CoV) may have been infected, the Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday.
The female health worker of the Evangelista Medical Specialty Hospital in San Pedro, Laguna will remain at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City until further tests show otherwise, Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin said in a press conference.
Only two patients in RITM are under MERS-CoV monitoring – DOH
February 15, 2015 2:34 pmThe Department of Health (DOH) said on Sunday that only two patients are now under close watch for possible Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus MERS-CoV) at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
“We are glad to announce that only two patients are actually staying in the RITM, including the index case patient (the 32-year-old Filipina nurse who was first confirmed positive with MERSCoV),” acting DOH Secretary Janette L. Garin said in a press briefing held at the DOH Media Relations Unit in Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila.
She said the other patient was classified as “patient under investigation” (PUI) wherein symptoms of MERS-CoV were identified but not considered as very severe case and, upon careful discretion of RITM experts, recommended to be isolated for further evaluation and monitoring.
