Swine flu still not in Cebu, DOH says

CEBU CITY – The regional director of the Department of Health (DOH) 7 has urged Cebuanos not to panic amidst reports that two persons are now being observed at a local hospital for symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus, popularly known as Swine Flu.    

As this developed, representatives of hospitals around Cebu met yesterday to discuss the procedures in handling patients with H1N1 symptoms.

DOH 7 Director Susana Madarieta said the public should not be alarmed on reports that three persons, a Caucasian female and a Filipino couple, are now admitted at the isolation room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) after they manifested symptoms of the flu.

Madarieta also clarified yesterday that only two persons are currently being observed for symptoms of the H1N1 virus, and not three as reported by other newspapers.

“There is no need to panic,” said Madarieta, adding that the three persons are not even considered “suspected cases” yet pending the result of the medical examination that will be out within two to three days.

The first case, a Caucasian (not a Cebuana as earlier announced) female traveler, volunteered to have herself checked after she developed cough and colds eight days after arriving in Cebu. She has been to Mexico, United Kingdom, and Hong Kong before landing here.

On Tuesday, airport authorities brought a male Filipino to the VSMMC for examination after a thermal scanner showed he had fever. His wife was with him but was not placed under observation because she had not symptoms of the virus, Madarieta said.

The couple who traveled from Ireland to Hong Kong arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport on Cathay Pacific flight CX921 and was intercepted at noon Tuesday.

The couple wanted to surprise their relatives and did not announce their arrival, said Madarieta. But they landed in the hospital instead.

The male patient still had fever and colds yesterday morning, Madarieta said. She, however, stressed that the patient was not given the anti-viral medicine yet pending the result of the medical test.

Madarieta said the public should not be alarmed considering that the H1N1 flu virus has only 10 percent fatality rate and is curable. She, however, urged the public to be responsible and follow the simple steps in avoiding the virus, like proper hand washing and avoiding contacts with people from infected countries.

She also urged everyone to immediately seek medical attention if they manifest symptoms of the flu, especially if they came from infected countries.

Madarieta also discouraged the public from doing self-medication at the manifestation of the symptoms. She said the public should not immediately take the drugs for the H1N1 flu unless they will be tested positive for the virus.

“It’s only a matter of time for the virus to enter the country and we must be responsible for our own health,” said Madarieta.

The regional health director said only two drug stores in Cebu are currently offering the anti-viral drug used in treating H1N1 virus as she stressed that drug stores should not dispense the medicine without a doctor’s prescription.

“It is now the discretion of the attending physician to prescribe the medicine and we discourage the public from self-medicating,” said Madarieta.

Meanwhile, Dr. Fidencio Aurelia, president of the Philippine Hospital Association in Central Visayas and national advisor of the Barangay Health Workers (BHW), said all 598,000 BWH around the country are trained in handling flu cases, including the H1N1 flu, and will be ready to serve should their be a national pandemic.

“We need to mobilize the community to act on cases at the barangay level,” said Aurelia. #