Pinay nurse cleared of MERS-CoV in Riyadh, but 1 new case admitted – DFA

MANILA, Philippines — A 50-year-old female Filipino nurse who was placed in isolation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after contracting the dreaded Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona virus (MERS-Cov) has been discharged but she was replaced by a new case afterward.

“As of now, we are still monitoring four cases of Filipinos with MERS in Riyadh,” Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a news briefing on Thursday,

Jose said one of the two Filipina nurses — aged 29 and 32, still in a hospital’s intensive care unit — was conscious and able to communicate.

The 50-year-old Filipino patient has been discharged after a series of tests and treatment, Jose said.

The new Filipino MERS patient was put into isolation for observation and treatment.

MERS-CoV which causes severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and has since infected more than 1,000 people and killed hundreds, according to the World Health Organization.

The DFA reiterated its advice to overseas Filipino workers in the healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus. (Niña P. Calleja, Philippine Daily Inquirer)