DOH ready to delete ‘JP’ from SARS list

Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said yesterday the government is ready to "de-list JP," the 47-year-old Hong-Kong-based Filipino domestic helper staying in Leyte, from the roster of four people infected by atypical pneumonia.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier reported four cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to the World Health Organization (WHO), including JP.

JP arrived at Barangay Maybocog, in the town of Maydolong, Eastern Samar on April 14 and was known to have had a history of exposure to SARS in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong was classified as a SARS-affected country by the WHO.

Dayrit, who heads the SARS Crisis Management Committee created by the President Friday last week, said JP could be declared a "non-SARS" case only if her fever abates and her body temperature remains normal. High fever is one of the first symptoms of SARS.

He immediately reported this development to Mrs. Arroyo, who asked the anti-SARS czar to "issue the appropriate declaration that there is no SARS case in Leyte" as soon as JP’s final diagnosis is confirmed.

"The people of Leyte, especially the local government officials there, have called me up to say (JP) actually did not reach the threshold fever for SARS" beyond 38 degrees Celsius, the President said.

The President told The STAR that when the case of JP was classified and subsequently reported in media as a SARS case, many scheduled local and foreign conventions were canceled in Tacloban City and other parts of Leyte province.

Dayrit said JP was confined in the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City since she was transferred there as a possible SARS case.

JP has no more fever and appears to have "responded" to the antibiotics given to her, he said. "But SARS (does) not do that. (The ) SARS virus does not respond to antibiotics."

"We would continue evaluating her clinical information and there would be a possibility of delisting from SARS if, eventually, she turns out to be a non-SARS case. But, for now, she is still classified as SARS," the health chief said.

If JP is no longer feverish after 48 hours, or 5 p.m. yesterday, Dayrit said, she will be de-listed from the SARS roster.

Dayrit said JP’s X-ray results showed her lungs were "clear."

He added that JP "was considered a SARS case based on the triad of contact, fever and pneumonia and came from a SARS affected country. So, on those bases, she was labeled SARS (-infected). Dayrit said.

"It’s quite a liberal inclusion now (of JP on the SARS list) in order to err on the side of safety," he said. "Even in the WHO list, depending on how the patient responds (to treatment), they actually delist reported SARS (cases). So it’s quite a dynamic process."

Based on the latest clinical monitoring of JP, he said, it appears she was actually infected with tuberculosis (TB), another contagious disease. TB is the number one killer disease in the Philippines, but it is curable if detected and treated early.