Gov’t on the lookout for SARS anew

President Arroyo has ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to be on the lookout for a possible resurgence of the deadly SARS virus following a new confirmed case in Singapore.

In his report to the President yesterday, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said procedures to contain a spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) remain "in place and at full effectiveness in the wake of the new case confirmed in Singapore."

The government is prepared to deal with a possible resurgence, he said.

"This is a Singapore problem," Dayrit noted. "But we are ready at this end. Our anti-SARS measures continue to protect the country."

The DOH believes "that there is no significant threat of any new outbreak in the country," a statement released by Mrs. Arroyo’s office said.

"Procedures for surveillance, referral and management of cases remain in force," it added.

In a Malacañang press briefing, deputy presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said hospitals designated to handle SARS cases have been given P1.5 million each by the government to set up isolation rooms and purchase equipment for health workers who will care for patients.

Singapore on Tuesday confirmed that a post-graduate student working at a microbiology laboratory had tested positive for SARS, a deadly pneumonia-like virus believed to have crossed from animal species to humans.

The announcement came more than two months after the virus was declared under control worldwide after killing more than 900 people, mostly in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, and battering Asian economies.

The Philippine government early this year reported 12 SARS cases, including two deaths but later declared it had eradicated the disease locally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking into the possibility that the latest case in Singapore was caused by a mutated strain of the SARS virus.

"It does not fit the case definition for SARS," WHO country representative Jean Marc Olive said. The patient had no contact with any known SARS patient and did not travel to any country that previously had SARS cases.

Shigeru Omi, WHO director for the Western Pacific region, said the patient tested positive for the corona virus — a virus that causes the common cold. He developed a fever, which subsided on Sept. 5, but not pneumonia.

"My understanding is that this person visited some parts of the laboratory where the SARS virus was kept," Omi said. "By the way, he is not an expert on this virus but he is a laboratory expert dealing with other viruses."

Omi said there was "no evidence" that the patient has a new strain of the SARS virus. It may also be possible that the patient was not fully exposed to the SARS virus, he said.

"This may also explain why this person had a mild symptom rather than developing pneumonia," Omi said. "There is sufficient evidence that the virus entered the body but maybe the exposure was not that heavy and, fortunately, he did not develop serious symptoms as other typical SARS patients."

Omi doubts that the news SARS case might begin a spread in Singapore, saying the "surveillance system in Singapore is sensitive enough to pick up any case."

Still, he urged countries to keep their guard up against SARS, which scientists said might start spreading again in November.

"Without any mutation, without any change of the virus’ genetic characteristics, my prediction is that we will live better should it return," Omi said. "We can deal better than before because we have learned a lot already."

But if the virus mutates, "the story will be different."– With AFP, Sheila Crisostomo