Virus watch on for Mecca pilgrims

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) is preparing for the pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca next month after the World Health Organization (WHO) monitored cases of a deadly new coronavirus linked to Saudi Arabia.

“Many (Filipinos) attend the Hajj. They would eventually come home to various destinations in our country. So (how to deal with them) is a challenge for us,”said Assistant Health Secretary Eric Tayag.

He expressed relief that the Saudi government is strict in its

requirement for travelers to be vaccinated. 

“They would not let you in if you were not vaccinated,”said Tayag.

There were reports that the new virus had afflicted three people, two of whom have died and had either resided or traveled to Saudi Arabia.

The WHO was alarmed because it was caused by coronavirus, the same virus that triggered the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that afflicted some 8,000 people a decade ago, resulting in 800 deaths.

Tayag said that the two illnesses are both respiratory in nature but the novel coronavirus was found to cause kidney failure.

Tayag could not give an assurance that the Philippines is prepared in case the new virus enters the country.

“This is new, there is really no data on this and there are only three cases reported. The WHO is closely monitoring this. And because it is new, the WHO found it wise to alert countries,”he added.

Tayag, however, assured the public that the contingency measures implemented by the country during the SARS epidemic are still in place.

“We were able to maintain the SARS (isolation) room in our hospitals and we have asked the RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine of the DOH) to prepare its laboratory. We already have our surveillance system so the moment the WHO tells us, we will activate that,”he said.

But as a precautionary measure, Tayag advised the public to observe proper hygiene through regular handwashing and covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing since coronavirus could be transmitted through respiratory droplets.

“If you are three feet away from a person and this person coughs, you will not get the virus. That is the distance where the virus can be transferred to others,”he added. 

The WHO is also reviewing the implementation of International Health Regulations (IHR) in the Western Pacific amid the threats posed by a new virus.

WHO started in 2007 the implementation of the IHR, which is a disease reporting system in the aftermath of the outbreak of SARS in many countries. It requires member-countries to report diseases that have potential to become public health threats.

WHO director for Western Pacific Shin Young-soo said IHR is vital in “preparedness in effectively responding to emerging disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.”

Health Secretary Enrique Ona assured the people that the DOH is ready to respond to the new virus.

In a statement, Ona said the Philippines is “more prepared today in responding to potential infectious disease threats such as severe respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus being reported today from the Middle East.”

“Our experience in the previous global public health emergencies such as the SARS Coronavirus in 2002-2003, the Pandemic Influenza H1N1 in 2009-2010, has given us the necessary capacity to respond to similar threats,” he added.

The National Epidemiology Center will be in charge of public health surveillance in collaboration with the RITM and the Bureau of Quarantine.

OFWs warned

The Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) warned departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to observe proper hygiene to avoid contracting the coronavirus when they go abroad.

Health and labor authorities have issued an advisory to OFWs who are planning to leave for Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia and Qatar, after WHO issued a Global Alert and Response (GAR) bulletin after the new virus was identified in United Kingdom last Saturday. – With Rudy Santos