Posts Tagged ‘H1N1 virus’

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.

AH1N1 Is Good For Philippines Tourism?

World Health Organization (WHO) had received reports that there are 33 countries have officially reported 5728 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) reported 46 cases, which 39 have negative results while 7 have still pending results.

Given the figures of WHO’s reported confirmed countries and patients around the world, Philippines is still blessed for having zero AN1H1 patient as of this writing. Remember that DOH is still monitoring 7 possible patients, we are not totally free.

Some countries have warned their citizens from going to AN1H1 infected countries, we do. And since we do not belong to infected countries, tourism is still ok. Filipinos prefer to travel within our country instead of going to our countries for fear of virus infection. A friend of mine who’s family spent their summer vacation in US yearly but change their plan this year. She could be one of other pinoys who thinks the same way. And their major reason is AH1N1 virus.

Come to think of it, if Philippines is still AN1H1-free country, we became one of the tourist destination of other countries. That’s good to our economy. What if they came from infected countries? Some of the 46 cases reported by DOH were admitted by private hospitals and not by DOH hospitals. Does it mean that they were negative when they passed through thermal scanners?

I still hope that the remaining 7 patients’ results will turn out negative.