2 SARS ‘suspects’ cleared

Two female overseas Filipino workers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, earlier suspected of having Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), have been cleared of the disease, a Department of Health (DOH) spokesman said yesterday.

Dr. Consorcia Quizon said the two OFWs, identified only as MS and MT, both developed symptoms akin to those of SARS days after their arrival but did not register other telltale signs of the disease after a period of tests and observation.

Quizon said 25-year-old MS was the first to be suspected of having the disease when she developed cough shortly after arriving in the country last July 6.

MS, she said, was brought to the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City last July 23 when her condition worsened.

Doctors at the EAMC, however, referred her to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), one of the DOH-designated SARS centers.

But hours after arriving at RITM, MS died due to congestive heart failure.

"SARS was not the main diagnosis but it was considered even without looking at her complete (medical) history because she was from Hong Kong," Quizon said.

MT, on the other hand, an OFW from Taiwan, developed fever three days after her return last July 17.

She was brought to the Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban City for examination.

"Her chest x-ray on July 22 showed negative results of pneumonia (but) a repeat x-ray procedure will be done in three days," Quizon said. Pneumonia is the defining symptom of SARS.

Quizon said the panic caused by the two cases proved that the country is still vigilant over the disease despite the World Health Organization’s announcement weeks ago that SARS has been contained in most of Asia.