No need for heightened alert over SARS-like virus – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang said there is no need to impose a heightened alert in airports over the reported spread of a SARS-like virus in the Middle East since the Department of Health (DOH) is closely coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also reassured the public that the government is on top of the situation and Health Secretary Enrique Ona is well aware of the novel coronavirus.

“At this point, we see no need for a heightened alert, other than the normal procedures that we do conduct. And this is for all, not just from the Middle East passengers, and they all pass the same procedure in our airports,” Valte said on state-run radio dzRB over the weekend.

“Essentially, we want to assure the public that the DOH is already aware of this situation, and that it is closely working with the WHO on any updates or any progress in the situation,” she added.

Valte also said that the scanning process remains in place in airports to check passengers who may have been infected, particularly those coming from the Middle East.

The Palace statement came after several quarters expressed fear over the spread of the infection because many Filipinos work in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

The virus infected 44 people worldwide the other week, most of them in the Middle East, according to the WHO. Cases were also reported in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The WHO also warned last week that the new SARS-like virus recently found in humans is “a threat to the entire world.”

The WHO said that the novel coronavirus is not a problem that an affected country can manage all by itself and that the world must pool its resources to properly address the infection.

Novel coronavirus is part of the coronaviruses family, which causes illnesses ranging from common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and a variety of animal diseases. But the new virus is different from SARS.

Novel coronavirus acts like a cold virus and attacks the respiratory system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.

The symptoms are severe and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea have also been seen, according to the WHO.

Health experts said it is not yet known how humans contract the virus but they observed that most of the cases so far have been seen in older men with other medical conditions.