State of preparedness

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council declared the entire city under the state of preparedness against the swine flu.

In yesterday’s session, the council approves the resolution putting the city under State of Emergency Preparedness against the swine flu following a thorough discussion with Regional Health Office-7 officials lead by Director Susana Madarieta.

Acting Mayor Michael Rama reactivated the Avian Flu Task Force, headed by consultant Dr. Nestor Alonso, to come up with a strategy against the disease.

Rama said that Department of Health Secretary Duque had committed to allocate the city, being a highly urbanized area, with the antiviral medicine oseltamivir.

Alonso said the Swine Flu Task Force is prepared to confront the virus as it is taking precautionary measures needed for the city to stay swine flu-free.

Included in the task force are the offices of city agriculture, markets, health, police and the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.

Madarieta said no vaccine has been invented so far against the H1N1 swine flu, which is a combination of influenza viruses among pigs, birds and human.

She explains that a person will not catch the virus if he/she eats infected meat since the virus is killed once the meat is cooked, saying that it is spread through close contact with an infected pig or person. 

According to Madarieta, any person can catch the virus, the most susceptible being those in the 25-45 age group. Because the virus is new, no one is immune to it yet.

Swine flu was first detected in the 1930s in the United States. In Mexico, there are around 2,000 cases noted from April 17 to 23. – Ferliza C. Contratista with Karen H. Yasi  (THE FREEMAN)