Health Issues

CHED: School Opening Is On June 15

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Secretary Dr. Emmanuel Angeles announced this weekend the rescheduled school opening for colleges and universities from June 8 to June 15. The primary reason is the possible spread of A(H1N1) virus to students in colleges and universities in the Philippines. It is reportedly moved the official school opening so the exchange students from other countries and students who travelled abroad to have enough time to quarantine themselves at home.

The decision was made after De La Salle University reported 3 of its students, including two Japanese exchange students, have been infected with the dreaded virus. Classes were suspended from June 3 to 14. A wake up call for other universities to change their school opening including. Far Eastern University (FEU), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Saint Paul University-Manila, University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), the University of the Philippines-Manila (UP) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) already announced the changes in school opening last week before CHED officially made the announcement.

Since the summer vacation is officially extended for colleges and universities, I hope exchange students and those who just arrived from other countries will really quarantine themselves. Huwag na sana magpasaway pa. Do we have “somebody” who will monitor these students? DOH, CHED or the university administration? I think these students are mature enough to be responsible to avoid the spread of the virus.

A friend of mine in Texas called me up to greet me yesterday (it was my birthday two days ago..) and we happen to talked about the virus. I informed her that De La Salle already have 3 A(H1N1) students and classes were already suspended. She said something like this… “Yung mga taga DLSU, may pera ang karamihan ng mga students. Mabuti kung may mga pera ang magkaroon ng virus, paano yung mga nahawaan na wala naman pangpahospital o pangpagamot?”

Another wake up call?

DOH is currently tracing 120 students who had contact with 3 DLSU students. As of June 5, there are 33 A(H1N1) patients in the Philippines. tsk.

21 Confirmed A(H1N1) Cases In Philippines

Few days ago, we only have 16 confirmed cases of A(H1N1), I heard from TV flash report now that DOH Secretary Duque announced that we have 5 new A(H1N1) patients. We already have a total of 21 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in the nation.

2 of the 5 new patients, a 40 years old female and 51 years old male also attended the Zambales wedding wherein the reported infected Taiwanese mother and child were also present. The other 3 are filipino travellers from US, a 19 years old male, 39 years old female and 45 years old male.

It is reported that DOH monitored 315 cases from May 1 wherein 21 are now positive, 32 are still under observation while the rest are negative of A9H1N1) virus.

No More Additional Thermal Scanners – DOH

I’m glad that Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque had shift from acquiring more thermal scanners to contact tracing of A(H1N1) cases.

If you use thermal scanning, you use so many personnel to man the scanning machines. What we need now are personnel for contact tracing. It would be better to have these people out in the field doing contact tracing instead of standing at the airport and manning thermal scanners that may not detect A(H1N1) if the virus is still incubating. – DOH Secretary Duque

For the record, Philippines already have the 2nd case of AH1N1 virus, a 50 year old female who arrived in the Philippines on May 20 from the USA and sought consult in a health facility a day after arrival, May 21. RITM confirmed that the patient is positive of Influenza A (H1N1). She only has mild symptoms. Another case that proved that thermal scanners were useless and just a waste of our money. Secretary Duque after representing Philippines in the recent 62nd World Health Assembly in Geneva said that Europe doesn’t use the said technology.

As of this time, DOH is monitoring and waiting for the result of 7 new cases. On June 1, most school will resume classes. I was at my kids’ school this morning and learned that the first day of school was moved from June 1 to June 4, Thursday. Just like other parents, I’m still worried. I hope DepEd reschedule the school opening until everything is stable.

Taiwanese From Philippines Positive Of AH1N1

A woman together with her relatives traveled to Philippines from May 16 to 20 and attended a yoga convention. The 30 year old Taiwanese was feeling unwell while in the Philippines. They returned home Wednesday from Manila on Philippine Airlines flight RP896, May 21 (Thursday) she went to a clinic after she developed a fever and other flu-like symptoms including coughing and weakness. She’s the 4th case of AH1N1 in Taiwan.

The said Yoga Convention held in the Philippines, the woman and her daughter participated in an international yoga event, which was also attended by people from the United States, Canada and Australia, all swine flu-affected areas. The sixth case is her 5 year old daughter.

Because the girl attended her kindergarten class — affiliated with Guangfu Elementary School in Taipei County’s Zhonghe City — as usual Thursday, the school will be closed until May 29, Shih said. All of the faculty staff and students should observe their health at home.

What happened to thermal scanners to departure areas of NAIA? As I’ve said, thermal scanners are not that accurate. How about the other nationalities who also attended the said yoga convention? I’m sure the new cases of AH1N1 in cases in Taiwan didn’t came from Filipinos but from other attendees of the said convention.

That’s the irony of being zero AH1N1 infected country (for a while), we became tourist destination and also became unintentional target of those who want to avoid the deadly virus. Now, AH1N1 is bad for Philippines’ tourism.

Philippines Listed In WHO's AH1N1 Countries

Its sad to know that Philippines already have the first case of AN1H1 case in the person of the 10 year old girl who arrived from the US in May 18. The patient tested negative in thermal scanner after arriving from United States and Canada with her parents.

The patient showed symptoms – fever, cough, and sore throat – a day after her arrival in the country and was rushed to RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine). As of this writing the patient doesn’t have fever already and in stable condition. She will be discharged after five days. Her parents were tested also and negative of the virus.

DOH (Department of Health) officials said that they already have the the manifest of the flight taken by the girl. Passengers who were seated around six feet or three rows in front, beside, and at the back of the girl have been identified. These 17 passengers who sat closest to the girl are being traced so they can be notified and told to be vigilant about their health condition.

As of the latest update of WHO, Philippines is the latest addition, the 42nd country who have AH1N1 case but with zero death. There are already 11168 cases in the whole world.