3 possible SARS victims confined in Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY – Three suspected cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) from Leyte are now confined at the government-run Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).

Ligaya Acosta, Department of Health (DOH) regional information officer in Eastern Visayas, said "EK," 30, came from Taiwan last May 17. She is married to a Taiwanese national. She arrived in Manila, proceeded to Cebu on a ship, then went to her hometown aboard a fastcraft.

While undergoing a 14-day quarantine period, she went to a private clinic in Hilongos, Leyte last May 29 complaining of fever and breathing difficulties. She was brought to the EVRMC yesterday morning.

EVRMC physicians attending to EK said she was suffering from a 40 degrees centigrade fever yesterday morning, Acosta told The STAR.

EK’s nine-year-old niece, with whom she had close contact for several days after she arrived in her hometown, is also confined in a separate room at the same hospital. The child experienced a slight fever.

EK’s 28-year-old sister is under close monitoring in another room at the hospital as a possible SARS suspect. She is one of EK’s close contacts, but has not yet manifested any symptoms of SARS.

Health workers at the EVRMC have started gathering blood samples from the three SARS suspects, which will be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Alabang City, Acosta said.

The joint regional task force on SARS from the DOH and the EVRMC have convened to monitor the three SARS suspects.

Dr. Milagros Bacus, DOH regional director, leads the task force. EVMRC chief Dr. Adelaida Aspirin is one of the task force’s members.

Last month, Tacloban City hugged the headlines when "JP," a Filipino overseas worker from Maydolong, Eastern Samar, was confined at the EVRMC as a possible SARS suspect.

JP was later released after she was declared to be free of the SARS virus. She went back to Hong Kong two weeks ago.

A medical worker who worked in Taiwan was also confined at the EVRMC after complaining of breathing difficulties. The worker was later released after testing negative for SARS, but was found to be suffering from diabetes.

Meanwhile, Dr. Consorcia Quizon, head of the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC), said the two suspected SARS cases from Ilocos will have to complete the quarantine procedure as a precautionary measure against the possible spread of SARS.

She said SARS symptoms could manifest itself about two weeks from the time the suspected SARS cases were isolated.

"They have to continue their quarantine as a precautionary measure. Our health workers will continuously observe them," Quizon said.

One of the two suspected SARS cases, "VM," is a domestic helper from Hong Kong. VM’s quarantine started last May 20. She is currently confined at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.

The other SARS suspect is "MY," a computer parts assembler from Taiwan is now undergoing quarantine at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Alabang City. MY’s quarantine started May 25.

Quizon said that initial x-rays performed on the two SARS suspects showed they had no pneumonia, the defining criterion for diagnosing SARS. They were only suffering from upper respiratory tract infection, like the "common cough and cold." – With Sheila Crisostomo