Catalon pa’s doc, nurse now SARS suspects

A female doctor and a male nurse at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) were placed on 14-day quarantine at the hospital late Wednesday for showing initial symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

RITM director Dr. Remigio Olveda said yesterday the doctor and the nurse, both in their early 30s, had attended to Mauricio Catalon, the country’s second SARS fatality and the first local transmission reported, who was quarantined for four days at the RITM until his death on April 22.

Last Wednesday, the doctor developed a fever, a primary symptom of SARS, but showed no signs of pneumonia or shortness of breath.

"She (doctor) was one of the residents on duty during the time when Mauricio was dying. She had pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx) three days before the fever... We don’t think she is sick with SARS," Olveda said.

He said the nurse had a low grade fever but "for the past 48 hours, he had no fever."

Olveda, however, said both are listed as probable SARS cases, joining 64 other people admitted in various hospitals all over the country as suspected SARS patients.

Ironically, RITM has been tapped by the Department of Health (DOH) as the country’s premier line of defense against the killer disease along with San Lazaro Hospital (SLH) in Manila.

Mauricio, who was earlier diagnosed with colon cancer, succumbed to broncho-pneumonia, apparently triggered by the SARS virus he contracted from his daughter Adela, who returned to their hometown in Alcala, Pangasinan last April 4. Adela, a Toronto-based nursing assistant, died from SARS 10 days later.

Aside from the doctor and the nurse, the elder Catalon also infected his 27-year-old granddaughter Jennifer Catalon who took care of him at the hospital.

Jennifer was placed under isolation at the RITM the same day her grandfather died.

Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit admitted there had been some "leniency" in the way the RITM handled the case of the Catalons. "At the point of death, even if Mauricio was (already) dying, none of his relatives should have been allowed to enter the room," he said.

For his part, Olveda said that the "human factor is difficult to handle," referring to the desire of the relatives to be with Mauricio.

Olveda assured that the RITM has formed counseling teams to help suspected SARS carriers and their relatives.

For his part, World Health Organization (WHO) representative Jean Marc Olive called for the strict compliance of proper isolation rules to prevent the virus from spreading.

"We have to avoid inter-hospital transmission of the disease. This can happen by not observing proper hospital rules and infection control," Olive said.

As a policy, the DOH considers a person a suspect SARS case if he has a history of contact with an infected person and manifests SARS symptoms.

The primary symptoms include fever, cough, body pains and difficulty in breathing.

The DOH also expressed support for calls to postpone the opening of classes on June 9 to give way to a massive information campaign on SARS.

Dayrit, however, noted SARS cases in the country is still under control. The DOH has recorded three SARS deaths and is closely monitoring 12 individuals suspected of contracting the infection.

"At this point in time, we don’t really have any widespread transmission of SARS here," he added.

There have been calls for a postponement of the opening of classes on fears that the virus might invade schools. Some restive parents do not want classes to resume until DOH makes a public assurance that it has controlled the spread of the disease.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is planning to set up a SARS "preventive network" to cover all public elementary and high schools in preparation for the opening of classes next month.

Under the plan, school principals and teachers will be tasked to act as SARS investigators in their respective schools.

The teachers will be on the lookout for students manifesting SARS symptoms and coordinate with local health authorities.

Dayrit said he would coordinate with DepEd Secretary Edilberto de Jesus on the plan. — Sheila Crisostomo