H1N1 cases rise to 46 from 43 over the weekend

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed yesterday that the number of Influenza A(H1N1) cases in the country rose to 46, including the first case in Far Eastern University-East Asia College in Quezon City.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, on the other hand, advised the public not to panic despite reports that a public elementary school in Marikina had suspended classes after one of its students showed signs of the dreaded virus.

DOH records showed that 13 more cases have been registered during the weekend, bringing to 46 the total number of infections.

“We have reached 46 and although it’s a big number, we are fortunate that all of these are just mild cases which are consistent with most of the cases of A(H1N1) we are seeing in other affected countries,” he noted.

One of the new cases is an 18-year-old Filipina student of FEU-EAC who had traveled to Japan where the virus is widespread. The DOH is puzzled how she got infected as she manifested symptoms beyond the 10-day incubation period of the virus.

“It is possible that there is somebody else who is the source of the virus. We are investigating this,” Duque added.

Four of the cases are students of De La Salle University-Taft: a 20-year-old South Korean male and a 20-year-old Japanese male, a 22-year-old American male and a 16-year-old Filipino male.

This brings to seven the number of infected DLSU students since June 3.

Seven of the new cases all have travel history abroad – a 22-year-old Filipina from the United States; 12-year-old and an 18-year-old Filipino male from US; a 14-year-old Filipina from Canada; a 27-year-old Japanese from Japan; a 63-year-old Japanese from the US and a 14-year-old Filipino male from the US.

But the DOH is still investigating how an 18-year-old Filipino male had contracted the virus.

“All are responding well to treatment. Contact tracing is ongoing,” said Duque.

He announced that 21 of the previous 33 cases have been sent home after shedding the virus.

The health chief assured that while the DOH is changing its control strategy from containment to mitigation, it is not letting its guard down against A(H1N1).

With the mitigation strategy, the government will do away with contact tracing and, instead, focus on controlling the disease as is done for other diseases.

But he said there might no longer be a need to close down schools with confirmed cases in the future “with a more complete picture of the virus observed among positive cases in DLSU and EAC.”

Shaky school opening

However, with the viral scare now affecting the academic community, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Emmanuel Angeles ordered last Saturday the deferment of the opening of classes in the tertiary level nationwide to June 15.

He said the postponement will allow Filipino and foreign students who just came from trips abroad to subject themselves to self-quarantine.

CHED also cited inclement weather conditions and the need for parents to prepare for enrollment expenses as two of the other main reasons for the postponement, but it was clear that the concern for the dreaded disease was a primordial consideration.

Yesterday, the University of the East also deferred the opening of classes for its elementary and high schools in both its Manila and Caloocan campuses.

“As precautionary measures against Influenza A(H1N1), the University of the East announces the postponement of the upcoming series of freshmen orientations —originally scheduled for June 9 to 11, 2009 —until further notice, and that the opening of elementary and high school classes in both UE Manila and UE Caloocan has been moved to June 15, 2009,” the UE advisory said.

UE’s Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Inc. (UERMMMCI) likewise deferred the opening exercises and recognition day of the College of Medicine to June 15, 1 p.m., at the UERM Gym, and the opening of classes of the College of Physical Therapy has been moved to June 17.

But even with a number of cases already reportedly plaguing several elementary and secondary schools, Lapus assured the public that the Department of Education had clear guidelines stating that classes would be suspended only after there is a confirmed case in a particular school community.

“We have a procedure and we should be careful because this is the time of coughs and fever since it’s the rainy season. They should have this checked with the doctors first and not make hasty judgments,” he said.

Lapus said classes would resume in Calumpang Elementary School in Marikina, after the student tested negative for A(H1N1). It turned out that the student had diptheria.

“Maybe the principal was just making sure it is safe for our students,” he said.

Dengue is also a threat

The education secretary said they are more worried about dengue as cases continued to rise in the country.

The DOH said there were 6,537 reported dengue cases in the country from Jan. 1 to May 9 this year.

In Mabalacat, Pampanga, classes at all levels in all public and private schools were ordered suspended by Mayor Marino Morales as a precautionary measure against A(H1N1) and dengue.

Hundreds of students, who first reported to their classes last week, were told to go home yesterday after Morales issued his memorandum on the deferment of school year opening.

Morales, however, admitted that there were no reports yet of suspected A(H1N1)) case in his town, although some cases of dengue have been reported.

DOH officials in Central Luzon said mosquito-borne dengue fever remains a more serious threat to local folk than A(H1N1).

Dr. Irene Canlas, head of the DOH’s regional epidiomology department, told The STAR that five have already died from dengue in the region since January.

As of latest count, 429 dengue cases have already been reported in her region.

“In terms of mortality, dengue is definitely more dangerous that A(H1N1),” Canlas said. 

She noted though that the five deaths and 429 cases so far reported this year are much lower than the cases reported over the same period last year.

OFW now safe

In Saudi Arabia, the Filipina nurse who was diagnosed with the A(H1N1) virus has been discharged from a hospital there, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

POEA chief Jennifer Manalili said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh sent a report that Rowena Wahab has been released from hospital and is now back home with family.

“Based from POLO report, Wahab was confined only for two days since she responded well to medication for influenza,” she said.

Manalili added that four members of Wahab’s family, who were placed under quarantine after the nurse was confirmed positive for the virus, are now also back home.

Meanwhile, deputy presidential spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said Malacañang is ready to release more funds if necessary to contain the spread of the deadly flu in the country.

Fajardo issued the statement to deny reports that funds in concerned government agencies are running out.

“We have funds at the Department of Health and the National Disaster Coordinating Council for this effort (to contain the virus) but we are ready to release more if necessary,” Fajardo told a news briefing.

She said at least P150 million have been earmarked from the DOH budget to defray expenses for the anti-flu campaign. – With Non Alquitran, Rainier Allan Ronda, Ding Cervantes, Paolo Romero, Mayen Jaymalin, Helen Flores, Dennis Carcamo, AP