3 H1N1 students still in hospitals

Three persons who tested positive for Influenza A(H1N1) are students and are now confined in hospital, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that of the 21 confirmed A(H1N1) cases in the country, 10 cases are still under hospital confinement, including a 20-year-old female student and a seven-year-old male student.

Duque also reported that the 19-year-old student from Nueva Ecija was taken to a hospital upon manifesting symptoms of the infection four days after returning from the United States last May 20.

“She has 36 contacts, all of whom were eventually placed under quarantine,” Duque disclosed.

Of the 36 contacts, Duque said 29 are relatives of student while five are fellow college students.

“All of them have not manifested symptoms of the infection until this time but they are under quarantine until June 4 because they came in contact with a confirmed influenza case,” Duque noted.

“We can say pretty much that the Nueva Ecija incident is a closed case since none of them have manifested symptoms of the infection,” Duque pointed out.

Duque said all three infected students are not attending classes at this time.

Thus, Duque said, there is no reason to suspend classes in areas where the three students came from.

Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde said the DOH can recommend to the Department of Education (DepEd) and to school officials the immediate suspension of classes if there is confirmed community transmission.

Villaverde said the DOH is closely working with DepEd and school officials to ensure that appropriate measures are undertaken to prevent the spread of the virus in campuses nationwide.

Since May 1, Duque said, the DOH has already recorded a total of 345 suspected cases of influenza A(H1N1), but only 21 have been confirmed positive for the virus while 32 are still awaiting laboratory results and 292 were declared negative. There are 20 new cases under observation.

Of the 21 confirmed cases, 11 have already been discharged from hospital and no death was recorded. Of the total confirmed cases, seven were of school age.

“No new confirmed cases were reported for the past 24 hours,” Duque reported yesterday.

Dr. Eric Tayag, DOH-National Epidemiology Center (NEC) chief, said that while cases seem to be tapering off, the threat of the influenza epidemic remains.

“The possibility of an epidemic is still there because there are people coming to the country after visiting countries where there is an outbreak of the illness,” Tayag stressed.

To prevent the spread of the infection, Duque yesterday visited two public elementary schools to promote hand-washing and proper etiquette of coughing and sneezing.

But more dangerous than A(H1N1), Duque said, are other so-called “wild diseases,” including the potentially fatal dengue.

Duque said the DOH is launching an anti-dengue campaign in anticipation of a possible increase in cases of dengue starting this month until the end of the year. As of April, DOH has already recorded a total of 5,563 dengue cases, including 57 deaths.

He said the cases this year were 58 percent lower compared to the same period last year, but he said preventive measures must be undertaken to avert possible increase of the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo has ordered her entire Cabinet to come up with a coordinated plan to stem the spread of the A(H1N1) virus in the country especially now that schools have opened.

Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Mrs. Arroyo issued the directive just before leaving for her eight-day official trip to South Korea and Russia last week.

He said Health Secretary Duque convened a meeting of Cabinet officials and department representatives to “come with their analyses and a collective effort for the prevention and control of the disease in our country.”

“I don’t want any health concerns at the opening of classes,” Bello quoted Mrs. Arroyo as saying.

He said while the number of A(H1N1) cases in the country is increasing, it has not reached alarming levels.

“There is no reason for us to be alarmed,” Bello said.

‘More virulent than swine flu virus’

While A(H1N1) does not appear to be as severe as past viruses that hit the Philippines, the country should brace for its “second wave” that health experts said could be worse.

“We shouldn’t be complacent because the strain could evolve,” Jun Ryan Orbina, a molecular biologist and research science specialist at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, said at a health forum in Quezon City yesterday.

Dr. Manolito Chua, president of the Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, said there is a possibility that there would be a mutation of the virus that could lead to the emergence of a virulent strain.

Dr. Alexander Oba, head of the quarantine division at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), noted that compared to past cases of seasonal flu, it appears that the A(H1N1) has a “weakening (level) of severity” since the first cases were reported in Mexico.

But according to Oba, as in the case of past pandemics, the first six months were not serious.

Orbina added: “The first wave might be mild but the next wave could be more severe. We’re hoping this will not be the case here.” He noted that influenza viruses are unstable.

Chua even said that the anti-flu vaccines that people are taking should be done every year.

“This is because every year, there’s a prevailing strain (of influenza virus),” Chua added.

Meanwhile, Oba reiterated that other measures should be implemented to prevent the spread of the virus without relying solely on thermal scanners at airports.

Oba admitted that the scanners “are not 100 percent perfect and effective in screening passengers,” noting that these only detect “surface temperature and not core (body) temperature.”

He cited that even at the airports, authorities are also regularly inspecting the catering and food services.

“We are conducting hazard analysis of critical control points of catering services,” he added.

Meanwhile, a physician lawmaker said there is nothing alarming about the soaring cases of A(H1N1) virus infection in the country because it can be done away with proper hygiene practices.

“There is no cause for panic. Although the anti-viral drugs are readily available, we have a high possibility of resistance from the virus, hence the drugs’ use is regulated,” Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said.

In an effort to assuage the fears of many, she said no less than Secretary Duque has assured the public that although the DOH anticipates more A(H1N1) cases, there remains no cause for alarm.

“Secretary Duque said based on their observation of the behavior of the virus, most of the cases are mild and self-limiting,” Garin said.

Duque had said that the case fatality rate of the A(H1N1) virus is less than 1 percent and no deaths have been recorded in the country. - With Reinir Padua, Delon Porcalla