CARAGA nurse SARS-free — DOH

BUTUAN CITY — A Filipina nurse from San Francisco, California, who was hospitalized at the Butuan Doctors Hospital here after showing symptoms of the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, was declared SARS-free by the SARS Emergency Task Force.

The 45-year-old nurse was admitted at the hospital on Monday morning because of high fever, difficulty in breathing and cough, which were known SARS symptoms.

However, Dr. Flordelis Llesis, Team A leader of the SARS Emergency Reaction Task Force told The STAR that the patient was found to be suffering from "bacterial pneumonia".

Dr. Charito Alfonso-Awiten, DOH Regional Director of the Caraga Region earlier told The STAR that her office is not taking any chances on reported possible SARS cases and every case has to be investigated.

Awiten said that since the nurse arrived her last May 9 from a SARS-affected country, they have to investigate it and validate the reports.

Since the global concern of SARS, Caraga authorities have formed different task forces to contain the possible entry of the dreaded disease in the region.

Meanwhile, in Alcala, Pangasinan, the regional epidemiologist assigned to monitor the health conditions of Barangay Vacante residents has recommended to postpone the burial of the ashes of Mauricio Catalon, the country’s second confirmed SARS death in the country.

Dr. Revelyn Cayabyab, regional epidemiologist said this is in order to allow the three remaining Catalon family members still quarantined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to attend the burial.

"The ashes can stay there at their altar and they just have to wait for a good schedule for the burial when everybody else in the Catalon family shall have been present," Cayabyab said.

She told local newsmen that Mauricio’s wife, son and niece were scheduled to be discharged from the RITM anytime now. – With Eva Visperas