On MERS-COV, DOH to public: Stop sowing false info

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health has asked the public to be responsible in sending text messages and posting information through social network sites about the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus Dr. Glen Alonsabe, chief of the DOH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said the public should not immediately believe what they hear or read.

"The official report should come from the DOH," Alonsabe noted.

Last Tuesday, several persons posted on their Facebook account about a nurse from Saudi Arabia who was allegedly tested positive for MERS-CoV.

The post reads: "Warning: Please do not go to IDH and SM temporarily. Yesterday an OFW who arrived from Jeddah ( whose 3 friends are at ICU intubated in Jeddah) went to SM Mandurriao, rode the jeep, didn't feel well, rode the jeep again from Mandurriao to IDH. Since last night, IDH ER has been closed. Patient has been quarantined. Now transferred to WVMC."

IDH is believed to be Iloilo Doctors Hospital while WVMC stands for Western Visayas Medical Center.

But as of yesterday morning, Alonsabe said that swab test result was out and the nurse is negative for MERS-CoV.

Other messages claimed that two persons who were positive for MERS-CoV are now confined at WVMC.

"Again, there is no truth to that," Alonsabe said.

As to the report of IDC-emergency room (ER) earlier closed for rigorous cleaning, Alonsabe said he has no knowledge about such report.

"We knew about the person under investigation after she was referred to WVMC," he said adding, the DOH lauded the nurse's initiative to have herself tested.

Earlier, Alonsabe explained that people flying in from the Middle East were asked to get checked upon arriving in the country.

He quickly pointed out, though, that it doesn't necessarily mean that people who arrived from the Middle East are infected with MERS-CoV.

Based on DOH-6 records, all 22 suspected MERS-CoV cases in Western Visayas region are negative. —  /JMD (FREEMAN)