3 infected by Saudi who died of MERS in Manila

RIYADH: A suspected MERS-infected Saudi national who died last week in Manila appear to have transmitted the virus to three persons who had close contact with him.
The three have been admitted to the hospital after showing symptoms of the virus, the Department of Health (DOH) announced.
Health Secretary Janette Garin said the three had been screened for the virus but the results of the laboratory tests had yet to be released.
“A total of 10 contacts have been traced. Fifteen are symptomatic but only five are being closely monitored,” Garin said in a text message to the Inquirer.
Initially, only 12 people — mostly hotel and hospital staff — were confined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City and San Lazaro Hospital in Manila for symptoms.
The initial findings were negative but they will have to undergo a second round of screenings. They will be confined at the two hospitals until the end of the 14-day incubation period on Oct.13.
These were the people, out of 93 contacts originally traced, who had been in contact with the 63-year-old Saudi national before he died while on vacation in the Philippines on Sept. 29.
The tourist from Jeddah arrived in Manila for a three-week vacation on Sept. 17 and got sick on Sept. 26, developing cough, high fever, and chills.
On Sept. 28, he was brought to a private hospital by hotel staff and medical personnel. He died the next day.
But the DOH could not yet officially declare him to be the country’s first death due to the virus due to the lack of tests that could confirm MERS infection.
Garin met with WHO on Monday to determine whether the patient could be considered the country’s first MERS death.
On Saturday, the DOH was still looking for four people who had frequent contact with the Saudi tourist, including the hired driver.
On Monday, DOF spokesman Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy said the hired driver had been located but tested negative for MERS-CoV.