4 new A H1N1 cases confirmed in region

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Health has announced that there are four new confirmed cases of the A H1N1 virus in Central Visayas.

Dr. Cora Lou Kintanar, spokesperson for DOH-7, said that as of yesterday, there are already 16 positive cases in Central Visayas.

Three of the four new cases are students from the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu Mandaue campus where three were also confirmed positive of the virus earlier.

Kintanar said that the results came in yesterday, but they have already treated the patients who are in the isolation room of the school and they have already completed taking the medication.

She also said that the cases under observation have risen to 21 from 19.

But Kintanar said that even if the results are still pending, they have already given medication to the patients and that they are already showing signs of recovery.

The school has provided two separate rooms for the cases of the A H1N1, one for those under observation and the other for those positively confirmed.

The rooms are situated far from the dormitories and classrooms of the other 600 maritime scholars, who are also quarantined, after the school reported the first three cases.

An intense clean-up has been done in the whole school to prevent further spread of any virus. 

The other confirmed case is said to be a two-year-old child who arrived from Japan and had a high temperature upon arrival.

Text messages also circulated yesterday that employees and supervisors of the call center, E-Telecare, were sent home after showing signs of the flu.

But Pamela Yu, Vice President of the Human Resource Department, said that this was not true and that they have no positive case of the virus in all the 10 sites of the company found in 6 different locations all over the country.

Yu said that from the start of the A H1N1 scare in Cebu, they have taken precautionary measures for all their employees.

But after the World Health Organization announced that the Pandemic level has been reached, Yu said that the company has taken extra measures to ensure the safety of their workers like checking the temperature of the employees before they enter the office and washing of the hands.

Dr. Kintanar also said that they have not received any report also of cases in call centers.

Kintanar reminded again the people not to believe in text messages like this because only the DOH is authorized to confirm new cases and information about new patients under observation would go through their office.DEPED CAMPAIGN

The Department of Education has advised school administrators to work closely with the Parents-Teachers Associations (PTA), Local Government Units (LGUs) and Municipal Health Offices to protect the schools and communities from the threats of dengue fever.  

DepEd Memorandum 252 Series of 2009 emphasizes the need for information communication drive against Dengue H-Fever, which is caused by Aedes aegypti, a domestic, day-biting mosquito.

Dengue-carrying mosquitoes thrive on dirty surroundings and stagnant water.

“We can prevent dengue fever by keeping the surroundings clean and making sure that there is no stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed,” Sec. Jesli Lapus advised.

He also urged school officials to closely monitor students especially during rainy season and to promptly address school health concerns. 

“We have to keep our schools clean to prevent an outbreak because Dengue is far deadlier than Influenza A (H1N1).

The outbreak prevention is for the good of all, hence, it should be the concern of all,” said Lapus.

The Department of Health, the lead agency in the campaign against Dengue and A (H1N1) virus, has come up with an intensive information communication campaign to fight dengue.

Called 4S, it stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and say “NO” to indiscriminate fogging.

House Suspends Work

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives suspended operations starting yesterday for five days after news that the country’s first swine flu-related fatality worked at the legislature.

House Speaker Prospero Nograles ordered the suspension after officials confirmed the 49-year-old woman with swine flu, who died Friday, worked for a congressional committee.

The legislature building will be sanitized, said Nograles.

Ramon Ricardo Roque, the House deputy secretary-general for administration, said the woman had attended a committee seminar June 15 and 16. She also traveled to northern Kalinga province on June 11 to 14.

A second House employee, a man, is recovering from the virus, Roque said. – AJ de la Torre with Johanna Natavio and AP/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)