Palace on first H1N1 case: No cause for alarm
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/22/2009 6:03 PM
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Palace officials on Friday called for sobriety after the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday confirmed the first case of influenza A (H1N1) in the country.
"Panic and alarm are our worst enemy. We should handle this matter with grave sensitivity, otherwise it will result in undue grave effect," Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Friday.
Malacañang officials assured the public that the DOH is in control of the situation, and that the public should not be worried.
"We should remember that there is only one case and there is yet no community-level transmission," DOH Undersecretary Mario Villaverde said in a press briefing in Malacañang Friday.
Also, because there is no community-level outbreak of the disease, the DOH has recommended that the opening of classes in the elementary and secondary levels on June 1 will push through.
Tourism advisory
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said that there is no reported cancellation yet of any of its tourism bookings after the confirmation of the presence of A (H1N1) in the country.
"The Department of Tourism (DOT) maintains that there is no reported cancellation on any of its tourism bookings," the agency said in a statement Friday.
"The tourism industry remains unhampered and has issued no travel restrictions," the DOT said.
Depite this, the DOT said they are on "heightened alert" for any case of flu-like symptoms from arriving tourists.
"The DOT has likewise urged tourism stakeholders and partners (transportation services, hotels, resorts and restaurants) to be vigilant and impose stricter measures on proper hygiene and etiquette to prevent the virus from spreading," the DOT said.
Patient 'recovering well'
Earlier, the Philippines' first case of influenza A (H1N1), a 10-year-old girl who arrived from the US on May 18, no longer has fever and is "recovering well," health officials announced Friday.
Villaverde announced that the girl's mother, the person who has been in close contact with the girl, has tested negative for H1N1. The girl, however, is still suffering from sore throat.
Dr. Mavic Vasquez, medical officer of the Department of Health (DOH), said they have obtained 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.
These people should immediately inform health authorities if they develop flu-like symptoms so they can be quarantined.
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In an interview on Umagang Kay Ganda, Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of the Epidemiology Center of the Philippines-DOH, said the girl can go home in five days if her condition continues to improve.
"Sa tinaggap naming ulat, bumubuti ang lagay ng bata. Limang araw mula ngayon maari nang umuwi sa tahanan. Maganda dito, nang nilagnat siya, nagpatingin agad at tinawag sa amin. Napadala agad sa RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine) kaya hindi kumalat sa kanilang tahanan, parang na-restrain natin," Tayag said.
The girl came home with her parents on May 18. After her arrival, she suffered from fever, cough, and sore throat, and was immediately rushed to the hospital on May 19.
The RITM got hold of the tissue samples from the patient last May 20 and confirmed on Thursday that she tested positive for the H1N1 virus.
The DOH has advised the girl's family to undergo home quarantine. The DOH is sending another team to the girl's house for a "more thorough assessment." -- With reports from Nadia Trinidad, Jing Castañeda, and Joey Villarama, ABS-CBN News, and Umagang Kay Ganda
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