More schools suspend classes due to A(H1N1)

MANILA, Philippines – More schools have announced the suspension of classes due to the discovery of confirmed cases of Influenza A(H1N1) among their students.

But the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said there is no need yet for the government to declare a public health emergency even as the total number of cases continues to soar.

The DOH recorded yesterday 64 new cases nationwide, raising the number to 311.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III however said the virus remains “very mild” as proven by its global mortality rate of 0.4 percent of all infected individuals.

Three reported cases led to the suspension of classes at the Lagro Elementary School in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Dr. Teresita Domalanta, Department of Education National Capital Region director, said classes will resume on June 26.

Domalanta said classes were also suspended at the Don Alejandro Roces National High School in Quezon City after one student was confirmed positive for the virus.

She said the student has already been brought to the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City for medical attention.

Two cases were also confirmed at the Dominican College in San Juan last Tuesday among high school students, which led the school administration to suspend classes at all levels for the rest of the week.

Another private school, Our Lady of Perpetual Succor School in Marikina City, also suspended classes but will resume on June 26.

“All the cases are mild. Maybe if the situation changes (we can declare) but for now, there is no need for that. The public might panic if we declare an emergency now. If we declare that, it should be for dengue,” Duque said in a radio interview.

DOH records showed that all of the 64 new cases, two of them foreigners, are “mild in nature.”

The ages ranged from one to 62 years old, 40 were male and the rest female.

Duque said eight more patients have fully recovered and been sent home, bringing to 93 the total count of patients who already shed off the virus.

“So far the country has no reported case of death or severe illness in all of the 311 documented positive cases,” he maintained.

State U has it

The University of the Philippines is now included in the list of schools that have contacted the virus after four of its students experienced high fever and were brought to the infirmary.

The four suspected cases involved three undergraduate students residing at Yakal Residence Hall, and a graduate student residing at Kamagong Residence Hall.

University officials said there is no need to cancel classes in the campus since it is not an ideal action to deal with the event. 

Officials likewise clarified that other units of UP have not reported any confirmed cases yet.

In an interview, Jose Wendell Capili, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs and Director of the UP System Information Office, said the confirmed case involved a member of the pep squad who went to Miriam College more than a week ago. 

Miriam College High School has reported three cases of the flu the other day and similarly bucked cancellation of classes.

The entire UP Pep Squad has already been directed to undergo self-quarantine.

The pep squad member and the four other students are now confined in various undisclosed hospitals.

As the confirmation of the first case in UP came, Chancellor Sergio Cao called for an emergency meeting with deans of the different colleges and doctors from UP-PGH Wednesday afternoon.

Capili, however, said that respective colleges and units of UP Diliman are expected to implement their own measures.

“We have now given dossiers to the colleges. The meeting was intended to prepare the various colleges, including advisers, and dorm managers on how to handle cases like this,” Capili told The STAR.

In San Miguel, Bulacan, at least 30 more public school students who have contacted cough and fever since last week are being monitored for symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1).

The said students were from Sacdalan Elementary School and Vedasto High School in Barangay Salacot in San Miguel town along the Bulacan-Nueva Ecija border.

Dr. Irmingardo Antonio, medical officer of the Department of Education in Bulacan (DepEd-Bulacan), said 27 of the students being monitored came from Sacdalan Elementary School.

He gave no data on Vedasto High School but sources said the numbers of students being monitored there could reach over 50.

Dr. Joycelyn Gomez, the province’s spokesperson on A(H1N1), confirmed that some students have fully recovered and that the three students allegedly had contact with a balikbayan.

She said they are still waiting for the DOH to conduct throat swabbing on students, after municipal health officer of San Miguel town diagnosed them with cough and fever.

Gomez said they are expecting more cases in Bulacan in the coming days due to aggressive monitoring, surveillance and coordination with different organizations.

Cases in the Visayas

At least two schools in the Eastern Visayas region have suspended their respective classes yesterday after the DOH regional office confirmed two cases, a 14-year-old high school student and a 44-year-old seaman who had just arrived from United Kingdom.

Dr. Nicolas Bautista, DOH regional epidemiologist, said the Philippine Science High School in Barangay Pawing Palo, Leyte, where the boy was enrolled, and the Sacred Heart College in Catbalogan, Samar, where the daughter of the seaman is a student, have suspended classes.

DOH regional officials reported that Eastern Visayas has already 15 suspected cases but 10 were discharged after testing negative. – With reports from Katherine Adraneda, Dino Balabo, Dennis Carcamo, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Antonieta Lopez, Miriam Desecada, Ronilo Pamonag

In Western Visayas, Dr. Ariel Valencia of the DOH Center for Health Development confirmed three cases, including two boys who recently traveled to the United States.

He said the brothers, ages 7 and 8, are currently being treated in a private hospital and that all those who have come in close contact with them were placed under close observation.

According to an advisory by the DOH in the region, 27 cases were under observation. Of these, 15 have negative results, while nine have pending laboratory results and still under close monitoring.

The first influenza A(H1N1) positive case reported earlier in Bacolod has completed the treatment and has undergone repeat swab yesterday.

The case has no more signs and symptoms and will be released from home treatment after the results of the second swab turn up negative, Valencia said.

Emergency response activated

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno reminded local government officials to activate their barangay emergency response teams as reporting centers for cases of Influenza A(H1N1).

“Local chief executives should also take the lead in the implementation of other urgent measures to prevent an A(H1N1) outbreak in their communities,” Puno said.

He said local officials should “take the lead in the conduct of a massive community information campaign to inform the public on the signs and symptoms of infection and measures to prevent the spread of the virus.”

Puno issued a circular covering such guidelines to provincial governors, mayors, barangay captains and DILG regional directors last June 4, or before the WHO declared the A(H1N1) crisis as a pandemic.

He directed all DILG regional directors to immediately disseminate the circular to all local authorities within their respective areas of responsibility. – With reports from Katherine Adraneda, Dino Balabo, Dennis Carcamo, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Antonieta Lopez, Miriam Desecada, Ronilo Pamonag

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