SARS now in RP? Nurse from HK being watched

A Filipina nurse who returned from Hong Kong is reportedly confined in the isolation unit of a government hospital in Manila for flu-like symptoms that could indicate severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS.

In a teleconference with President Arroyo at Malacañang yesterday, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said the 41-year-old Filipina will be confined at the San Lazaro Hospital for the next two to seven days.

There were conflicting details about the background of the patient as Dayrit reported to the President that the person taken to the hospital was a Filipina maid from Singapore.

A health expert said on Friday that the Philippines could deal with SARS though the nation is not adequately equipped.

"We are able to deal with tuberculosis and measles here. We could deal with SARS but we are not equipped," said Dr. Manolito Chua, an internist and infectious disease specialist at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

RITM is the research arm of the Department of Health (DOH).

Chua said he knew of only two hospitals that have negative pressure rooms where SARS patients could be confined and still prevent the spread of infection. These are the state-run Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City and the privately owned Asian Hospital in Alabang.

Nevertheless, he considers it a blessing that the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office is in Manila, making it easier for the country to have access to essential information, medicines, and gadgets for infection control.

Though the WHO has declared the Philippines a SARS-free country, precaution is still encouraged.

Filipina DH cremated

The remains of the Filipina domestic helper in Hong Kong who died of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was cremated at 12:40 p.m. yesterday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said.

OWWA chief Virgilio Angelo told The STAR that the cremation was witnessed by Philippine Consul General to Hong Kong Victoria Bataclan, the parents of the deceased and another relative of the victim.

Adela Dalingay, 39, succumbed to the flu-like illness on Monday, the first Filipino victim of the dreaded disease. Her ashes will be turned over to the family on Monday and flown back to the country.

As the deadly pneumonia outbreak continues to spread in the territory, eight other Filipinos were confirmed stricken with SARS. The Philippine consulate in Hong Kong said that they are now confined in hospitals but no other details were given.

More than 130,000 Filipino domestic helpers work in the territory.

Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee Hwa, who has been criticized for moving too slowly to curb the outbreak in the territory, announced the closure of some 2,000 primary and secondary schools starting yesterday until April 6. He also invoked a quarantine law and said visitors would now be required to fill in health declarations.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) yesterday issued guidelines on how to deal with SARS encountered at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), saying that prevention is the best defense against the killer disease.

MIAA advised the public, among others, not to touch surfaces in crowded areas such as handles, doorknobs and railings, and to always wash the hands before touching the face.

Wearing surgical mask will not help much, it said, unless a person is in direct contact with people affected by the disease. While traveling, it helps to drink lots of water. — With Katherine Adraneda, Sandy Araneta, Marichu Villanueva, AFP