The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced tonight the city’s 34th novel coronavirus case.
The patient is a 43-year-old unemployed male Macau resident. He took his two children to visit his wife in Manila, Philippines, since November last year. On March 18, he and his two children took Cathay Pacific flight CX902 to Hong Kong at about 7 p.m. (seat 14A, Business Class). They arrived in Hong Kong at 9 p.m. and boarded a bus crossing the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
On entering Macau, all three were asymptomatic, with normal temperatures. They were required to observe 14-day quarantine and home medical observation according to the measures at that time. He claimed they wore masks upon departure from Manila until returning home in Macau.
The patient and his two children observed home quarantine at Wah King Garden (Block 1) on Avenida Norte do Hipódromo, Macau.
The three were isolated in separate rooms within the unit. All claimed that they did not go to work or school and had also remained indoors throughout this time period. Their close contact dined separately and tested negative.
On Thursday, the patient’s throat saliva sample tested positive for the novel coronavirus by nucleic acid testing. Today, both nasopharyngeal swab tests were negative, but the virus antibodies IgG and IgM were present in the lungs. The CT scan showed pneumonia and he was then diagnosed with the virus.
The patient denied feeling discomfort, such as fever or acute cough, and his situation is currently normal.
He has been admitted to the isolation ward of Conde de S. Januário Hospital Centre for treatment.
The nasopharyngeal swabs of his daughter’s companion came back negative for the IgM antibodies but positive for the IgG antibodies. No pneumonia was detected in the lungs via CT scan.
His son’s companion is now also listed as a close contact, whose nasopharyngeal swab and antibody tests are negative but has been arranged for medical observation at the public health clinical centre.
Macau’s 34 confirmed COVID-19 cases includes 10 patients – seven tourists from Wuhan and three locals – who have been discharged from hospital. The other 24 cases, all of them imported, have been confirmed since March 15.
Macau’s first novel coronavirus case was registered on January 22.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre calls on residents who were on the same flight as the confirmed cases to call 2870 0800 for further processing.
PHOTO © Medscape
