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A 44-year-old male Chinese died in a government hospital in Manila, the first novel coronavirus-related death outside of China, the Department of Health said on Sunday.

In a press conference, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the deceased patient was the second novel coronavirus positive case in the country.

He said the Chinese man, who arrived from Wuhan, China through Hong Kong last January 21, was tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He died on Saturday after developing severe pneumonia due to viral and bacterial infections.

However, the Health secretary said that the patient was stable and showed signs of improvement before deteriorating within the last 24 hours prior to his demise.

He was admitted for pneumonia on January 25 at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila after experiencing fever, cough, and sore throat.

"This is the first reported death outside China," World Health Organization's representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said.

According to Duque, the patient was a companion of the 38 year-old female Chinese national who was previously announced positive for the novel coronavirus.

The patient experienced mild cough and was also admitted at San Lazaro Hospital on January 25.

As of Thursday, the DOH said the female patient was asymptomatic which means that she no longer has symptoms suggesting any illness.

“I would like to emphasize that this is an imported case with no evidence of local transmission. We are currently working with the Chinese Embassy to ensure the dignified management of the remains according to national and international standards to contain the disease,” Duque said.

DOH assured the public that necessary measures are being strictly implemented to contain the spread of the virus. It added that the San Lazaro Hospital has implemented rigorous infection control protocols while caring for the patients.

The novel coronavirus positive patients were also isolated in the hospital and health personnel who came in contact with them practiced stringent infection control measures and wore appropriate personal protective equipment.

“The Philippine Government has already implemented a temporary travel ban for travelers coming from China, Macao, and Hong Kong. DOH is monitoring every development on the 2019-nCoV very closely and is taking proactive measures to contain the spread of this virus in our country. This health event is fast-evolving and fluid. We are continuously recalibrating our plans and efforts as the situation develops,” Duque assured.

“We are providing the public with constant updates and advisories as frequently as possible, so all I ask from the public now is to heed the advisories from official DOH channels and to refrain from sharing unverified and unvalidated information. I assure the public that we will keep you abreast of any information that we have,” he added.

The DOH said that 36 patients are currently under investigation for the novel coronavirus in the country. About 23 of them are admitted and isolated, while 10 were already discharged under strict monitoring.

In addition, one patient who was being tested for the virus died on Wednesday. However, the Health department said that the Chinese patient died due to pneumonia and was negative of the virus.

There are no reports of community spread of the virus within the country. Still, Duque urged the public to practice prevention measures such as proper hygiene and observance of cough etiquette. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS