DOH to cremate 'potentially infectious' remains of Chinese nCoV casualty
MANILA, Philippines— Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo on Monday said the Health department is still considering the remains of the Chinese patient who died of novel coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome or 2019-nCoV ARD as “potentially infectious.”
“We treat the man's cadaver as still 'potentially infectious,” he said at a press briefing.
In view of this, the Department of Health will cremate the remains according to the protocol on proper disposal of the body of a person who died of infectious illness.
“Cremation would be done as soon as possible,” Domingo said.
In a separate radio interview, Healtg Secretary Francisco Duque III said 2019-nCoV would also be killed inside the crematorium.
The DOH is already coordinating with the Chinese Embassy in scheduling the cremation of the patient.
Duque said there are no details yet on whether the ashes of the patient would be brought to China after the cremation.
The 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan, China, who tested positive for the 2019-nCov ARD died over the weekend and his death was announced on Sunday.
His case was the second recorded in the country and the first death recorded outside China.
First confirmed case still in hospital
The Chinese man is also the partner of the 38-year-old woman who is the country’s first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV ARD.
The latter is still confined at San Lazaro Hospital.
As of Monday afternoon, there are 80 persons under investigation in relation to 2019-nCoV ARD. Of which, 67 are confined in isolation room of hospitals. Ten of them were already sent home.
"Sila ay na-clear na. At base sa kanilang laboratoryo, negatibo sila sa nCoV (They were already cleared. Based on their laboratory test, they are negative of nCoV)," Dr. Ferchito Avelino, Epidemiology Bureau officer-in-charge-director on other PUIs included in contact tracing, said.
- Latest
- Trending
