DOH: 2,975 recover from A(H1N1)

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health yesterday said that as of July 11, there were a total of 3,207 confirmed Influenza A(H1N1) cases in the Philippines, including six deaths.

Of the figure, 2,975 or 93 percent have recovered.

The virus has remained mild in nature, more than a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic for Influenza A(H1N1).

The DOH said that the public should, however, never let its guard down because the possibility of the virus mutating is always there.

“The form of the virus is not changing but we should not be complacent because we don’t know what will happen next,” said Dr. Lyndon Leesuy, program manager of the DOH for emerging and re-emerging diseases.

Leesuy told The STAR that the recovery rate – the chance of an infected individual to shed off the virus – of A(H1N1) is high but the public should remain on guard.

The expert noted that while A(H1N1) seems to be like seasonal influenza, the public should keep in mind that the virus is new and, therefore, its end-form is not yet known.

Seasonal flu is self-limiting, meaning an infected person can recover even before starting on medication, especially if his resistance is strong.

Leesuy claimed that in compliance with the recommendation of the WHO, the DOH no longer makes a “headcount” of A(H1N1) cases but it continues to monitor if there is unusual or significant increase in cases in a particular community.

No conclusive findings

The health department in Baguio City is scaling down the alarm prompted by the death of four patients in the Cordillera region who were reportedly infected with the A(H1N1) virus.

Dr. Myrna Cabotaje, regional director of the DOH in the Cordillera, yesterday said there were no conclusive findings that only A(H1N1) was the cause of the deaths.

She added that all the deaths were precipitated by other illnesses that led to complications.

Three of the victims, one of them a 19-year-old, were from Baguio while one was from Benguet.

The number of suspected A(H1N1) cases in the Cordillera region has reached 137.

3 more positive cases

Three more residents from Cagayan Valley have tested positive for A(H1N1), bringing to 12 the number of those infected by the virus in the entire region.

The latest victims are all reportedly from Quirino province, where two students earlier tested positive.

However, Dr. Josefino Flores of the DOH regional office in Tuguegarao City said that the three patients are already recovering from the illness.

The other nine victims have fully recovered after undergoing medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the DOH also admitted that someone from Benguet died from meningococcemia last week.

The 17-year-old victim reportedly died while confined at the Benguet General Hospital in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Another patient who reportedly contracted the dreaded blood virus is being monitored in Mountain Province. – With Artemio Dumlao, Charlie Lagasca