The Department of Health recently issued a Coronavirus advisory to warn the public on the risks and how to avoid them.

The coronavirus is a family of virus that causes various diseases from the common cough and cold to more serious infections. In serious cases, it may lead to pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Syndrome, kidney problems, and even death.

Here are the symptoms to watch out for:

  1. Respiratory Symptoms
  2. Shortness of Breath
  3. Fever
  4. Cough & Cold
  5. Breathing Difficulties

Here are tips on how to avoid sicknesses due to coronovirus:

  1. Make it a habit to wash hands
  2. Avoid contact with animals
  3. Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing and as much as possible, do it away from others
  4. Stay away from people with the symptoms especially cough & cold
  5. Drink lots of water and eat food that is cooked thoroughly and properly
  6. Immediately consult a health facility if symptoms of cough and cold persist (especially if you traveled from Wuhan, China).
Coronavirus Precautionary Measures

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Tuesday that the Department of Health is investigating a suspected case of novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV after the arrival of a Chinese boy aged five years old in Cebu City who showed signs of fever, cough and throat irritation.

The boy has been reported to be “stable and afebrile” despite having cough, adding that the samples taken from him have been tested at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and yielded negative results for Severe Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

DOH director for Epidemiology Bureau Ferchito Avelino cited that there are six known strains of the coronavirus, including MERS-CoV and SARS. He added that the said the virus that infected the boy could be any of the four other strains of coronavirus and “not necessarily the 2019-nCoV”.

The DOH’s Bureau of Quarantine traced the boy’s co-passengers within four seats from his location on the plane. None of them showed any of the symptoms.

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