Prepare for 2nd wave of flu - DOH

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday underscored the need to prepare for a second wave of the Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic even if the virus presently appears to be mild in nature.

Dr. Lyndon Leesuy, program manager of the DOH for emerging and re-emerging diseases, said that historically, all pandemics have had second waves that were deadlier.

“It may not happen but there is a possibility of mutation. The virus may become more virulent then,” he said in an interview.

Because of this, the DOH must review the capabilities of its 72 hospitals to admit A(H1N1) cases in the event of a second wave.

Some epidemics can run for months to years before a second wave occurs.

There were three influenza pandemics that occurred in the last century as per records of the World Health Organization. These are the1918-19 (Spanish Flu), 1957-58 (Asian Flu), and 1968-69 (Hong Kong Flu) which all led to “unimaginable levels of illness, suffering, deaths, social disruption and economic disaster.”

The Spanish flu killed up to 40 million people, while the Asian flu and the Hong Kong flu killed some one to four million.

But international health experts are more confident that the world is more ready for a pandemic today, owing to improved public health facilities and better knowledge than 40 years ago.

Leesuy said there would be no let up in the information campaign of the DOH on the virus as part of the preparation for the second wave, adding that the pandemic should serve as a wake-up call for everyone to observe their responsibility to the society and to others.

He said that while the DOH had relaxed its policy on the 10-day home quarantine for travelers coming from countries with confirmed cases of A(H1N1) with or without symptoms, they should be responsible by self monitoring.

Military reports cases

However, the viral infection continues to creep into the different sectors of society.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the country’s largest labor group, urged the government and the private sector to adopt more aggressive strategies to contain the virus and prevent it from invading the country’s factories and diminish labor productivity in a big way.

“No expense should be spared to safeguard health workers – hospital staff, clinicians, and barangay (health) units – our advance guards in fighting the virus,” TUCP secretary-general and former Senator Ernesto Herrera said.

Even the military establishment was not spared from the scourge as the Navy reported that there were actually seven cases among their personnel, more than the two that were confirmed the other day.

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman, clarified that the other five were among the 23 that were tested for the flu virus.

“From this number, 13 personnel are in hospital isolation, five are isolated in a guesthouse, five were allowed to go on supervised home quarantine because they either tested negative or have already been treated,” he said.

Arevalo said the infected Navy personnel could have contracted the virus from their exposure to people they get acquainted with during their weekend vacations.

“We have to clarify this to prevent a misimpression, should there be follow up reports, that there was a sharp increase from two yesterday to seven today,” he said.

Arevalo said that before the report came out, the Navy leadership had ordered the conduct of troop information and education on the disease.

“Had it not been for this constructive moves between the Navy chief nurse and local DOH officials, the number could have been more as we await test results to come. It bears stressing that all patients are all recuperating,” he said.

Bright ray of hope

The good news, however, is that a lot of reported cases have recuperated, easing the fear that started to set in when a 49-year-old House of Representatives employee was declared as the first casualty.

DOH officials in Mindanao said four cases in the South have already been fully cured while others are recovering well from the illness.

“Those that were reported to be positive are now well, while others are on their way to recovery,” Dr. Salvador Estrera, Southern Mindanao assistant regional health director, said.

Dr. Ricardo Audan, assistant administrator of the Davao Medical Center, said that the four-year-old boy and his nine-year-old cousin from Caragar region were both already discharged from the isolation ward of the hospital after they completed their anti-viral treatment.

The four-year0old boy from Caraga region was the first recorded positive A(H1N1) flu case in Mindanao.

The boy’s nine-year-old cousin also tested positive and was treated at the DMC isolation ward.

In Northern Mindanao, 10 patients who were reported to have also tested positive for the flu virus were said to have already fully recovered although their results were belatedly released only last Friday, two weeks after their throat swab samples were sent to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang.

The patients in Northern Mindanao came from Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Cotabato City and Ozamis City.

But two one-year old infants who came from Japan were the latest to be admitted at the isolation ward of the Davao Medical Center for observation for possible flu infection.

Estrera said that of the total 82 cases under observation in Southern Mindanao, four tested positive and 48 were negative while 32 others are still awaiting laboratory results of their throat swab samples that were sent to RITM.

Classes were suspended at the Rainbow of Angels Learning School in Butuan City after the DOH confirmed that a nine-year-old female student tested positive for the virus.

It was the second case recorded in the region. – Mayen Jaymalin, James Mananghaya, Edith Regalado, Ben Serrano