MANILA — Down with colds a week before Valentines Day, banker Miguel Cordero has not asked his girlfriend out on a date, fearing they will catch a new coronavirus, which a public health expert said should not spoil intimacy between couples.

Cordero said his girlfriend of almost 2 years was "not happy" that he had refused to see her for 2 weeks. He caught colds last Jan. 27, a few days before the Philippines confirmed its first case of the virus that has killed over 400 people and infected nearly 20,000 others, mostly in China.

"'Di mo alam kung nakuha mo virus o hindi. Siyempre I don't want to put her at risk," said the 23-year-old assistant manager at a Makati bank.

(You don't know if you caught the virus or not. Of course, I don't want to put her at risk.)

Filipinos will spend Valentine's Day with shopping malls, restaurants and public transport setting up defenses to guard against the spread of the disease.

Hand sanitizers are available for free on mall doors, escalator hand rails are disinfected with ultraviolet light and security guards and drivers are told to wear face masks.

On Sunday, the Phlippines confirmed its first coronavirus death, a Chinese man from Wuhan city in the mainland, where the virus is believed to have originated from.

WHEN TO HUG, KISS

The virus spreads through direct contact and respiratory droplets, a mode of transmission that includes kissing and holding hands, said Dr. Edsel Salvana, a clinical associate professor at the Philippine General Hospital.

Refraining from these forms of intimacy, as well as hugging and sex, "isn't necessary" if one's partner "is not sick or has not had any exposure" to the virus, said Salvana, who is also director of University of the Philippines Manila's Institute of Molecular Biology.

The World Health Organization said last week it remained unclear if the coronavirus which can cause a pneumonia-like acute respiratory infection, is contagious before symptoms appear during its incubation period, estimated between 2 and 10 days.

One published study from Germany and anecdotal reports from China indicate that some people infected with the novel coronavirus can pass it on before they show symptoms.

Salvana urged the public to avoid crowded areas because droplet transmission occurs within 3 to 6 feet.

Aside from the new coronavirus, people can also get sexually transmitted infections if they don't practice safe sex, the doctor said about a week before Valentine's Day. It is also influenza season so the public should expect more flu cases especially for those who were not vaccinated, he added.

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LOVE VS VIRUS

"Sarah", who works at an international consulting firm, said she and her boyfriend might just stay home on Feb. 14 and have food delivered.

"We’re not very confident strolling around the malls lately due to the virus. If we need to buy something, we make sure to buy it immediately or finish our agenda right away to avoid exposure to a lot of people," said the 23-year-old executive assistant.

Cordero, meanwhile, said he and his girlfriend would wear masks on their Valentine's date.

"The age-old moral lesson during Valentine's still holds: landi responsibly," he said.

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