Nurse now MERS-free

MANILA, Philippines - A pregnant nurse who was quarantined after she was diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome–Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) has recovered, the Department of Health (DOH) declared yesterday.

“We are happy to announce that the index case has been discharged. It’s very good news – she is very much healthy. Her swab and sputum samples no longer have MERS-CoV,” DOH acting Secretary Janette Garin said in a press briefing.

The nurse – the country’s first MERS-CoV case – has been discharged from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, where she was quarantined since Feb. 10, nine days after she arrived in the country from Saudi Arabia, where she contracted the virus.

All the persons with whom she came in close contact have been cleared by the DOH.

Garin said the nurse still has to undergo a 10-day home quarantine as part of a government protocol to curb the MERS-CoV virus’ spread.

The nurse also has to regularly see a doctor since she is six weeks pregnant.