FEU death not a SARS case - DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) declared yesterday that a 55-year-old female balikbayan from New York who died at the Far Eastern University Hospital in Quezon City succumbed to "disseminated breast cancer" and not to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) as suspected.

At a press conference last night, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said that the autopsy on the body revealed multiple "coin" lesions in the patient’s breast, lungs and liver, which were signs of cancer.

The findings confirm the earlier statement made by Dr. Consorcia Lim-Quizon, National Epidemiology Center (NEC) director and head executive assistant of Dayrit, that it was not likely to be SARS although the victim had a history of international travel from the United States, including a stopover to South Korea, which are included in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of SARS-affected countries.

The victim, a US resident who just arrived in the country, was admitted to the FEU hospital on Monday morning due to high fever and difficulty breathing, two known symptoms of SARS. She died at 3 a.m. yesterday of "cardio-respiratory failure due to bilateral pneumonia."

Dayrit explained that the high fever and the pneumonia were complications of the disease.

Sources said the patient was refused in another private hospital. She was recommended to be transferred to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RTIM) in Alabang in Muntunlupa City, a state-owned facility that can accommodate SARS cases, but the relatives declined as the place was too far.

As she was categorized as a suspected SARS case, the 13 hospital staff who attended to the woman were quarantined and recommended for "observation for at least 10 days." Seven are now secluded at the fourth floor of the FEU Hospital while the other six are being isolated in their respective homes.

Another suspected case of SARS, a 46-year-old nursing attendant from Toronto, Canada who died on Monday at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, was also cleared by the DOH yesterday. Medico-legal examinations showed that the patient died of ordinary pneumonia.

Dayrit assured the public that the government is on constant alert and vigilance even on Holy Week to prevent the entry of SARS in the country.

"Our epidemiologists and staff at the SARS hotlines will also be around the whole week for matters that will require immediate action," he said.

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), routine cleaning and sterilization of facilities was established since March 28. This Holy Week, another massive cleaning and disinfecting of the airport terminals will also be done.

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Edgardo Manda said that a British medical expert on infectious diseases is coming over to discuss with the MIAA, the Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Service (BQIHS) and the DOH officials on how to handle SARS cases.

Dr. John Simon, a British national who is married to a Filipina, has written several studies on SARS in Hong Kong. Among his findings were that the SARS virus only has a three-hour survival rate in air, that it could be killed by ultra violet rays and that it can be transmitted only through physical contact or through respiratory droplet transmission such as sneezing or coughing.

To prevent the entry of SARS in the country, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) supported the call made earlier by President Arroyo to Filipinos working in SARS-affected countries not to return home during the Holy Week.

CBCP Episcopal Commission on Migrant Workers chairman Bishop Ramon Arguelles said restricting the entry of Filipinos from countries seriously affected by SARS is a "sacrifice worth taking" at this time.

Labor officials gave assurances though that returning Filipinos who are possibly infected with SARS can be immediately diagnosed and brought to hospitals for medical treatment.

Because SARS is highly contagious, the WHO advised against going to crowded areas unprotected. As more people will be inclined to stay indoors, the National Power Corp. said it has instituted measures to ensure that there will be enough power supply during the summer. — With reports from Artemio Dumlao, Mayen Jaymalin, Sandy Araneta