By Noreen Jazul The condition of the five-year-old Chinese boy being monitored for possible novel coronavirus has turned for the better, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
(AP Photo/Aaron Favila / MANILA BULLETIN) "Wala na siyang lagnat, pero may konting ubo, pero noong isang araw pa iyon, baka naman siya ay tuluyan nang gumaling," DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III told DZMM. The health secretary said the boy's mother also did not manifest any symptoms of a respiratory disease. Duque however said they are still waiting for the results from Australia on whether the boy tested positive for novel coronavirus or not. Read more: Search chinese boy DOH probes suspected 2019-nCoV case of 5-year-old boy in Cebu City DOH said it is also monitoring 12 persons who the boy had contact with on his way to the Philippines. "Meron tayong protocol diyan, ang tawag contact placing, so yung apat na tao sa harap, sa likod, kung saan siya nakaupo sa eroplano, apat na tao sa kaliwa, at sa kanan kung nasa gitna siya," Duque explained. "Aalamin kung saan nakatira ang mga ito at bibigyan ng kinakaukulang advisory," he added. Duque meanwhile said the three Chinese nationals quarantined in Kalibo, Aklan do not match the "case definition" prescribed by the WHO on its interim guidelines on the coronavirus. "Ibig sabihin, iyong tatlong Chinese nationals, di naman sila galing or nagtrabaho sa Wuhan City or nakasalamuha o nagkaroon ng direct physical contact with any confirmed case of novel coronavirus," he said. Read more: 3 Chinese nationals bound for Boracay quarantined for mysterious virus