Philippines' confirmed H1N1 cases climb to 10
Four more people who attended a wedding party in Zambales, which was also attended by an influenza A(H1N1) virus-infected Taiwanese mother, have tested positive for the dreaded virus.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the new influenza A(H1N1) virus cases brought the number of confirmed cases in the Philippines to 10.
Duque said in a press briefing on Thursday that the four new cases include a 24-year-old mother, her one-year-old daughter; a 47-year-old male and a 13-year-old male.
He said the four new confirmed cases attended a wedding party in Zambales, which was attended by a Taiwanese mother and her daughter.
The two foreigners were tested positive for the dreaded virus upon their return to Taiwan.
Health authorities have yet to determine where the two Taiwanese nationals caught the virus.
On Wednesday, the health secretary announced that four people -- two children and two adults -- have been infected by the dreaded virus.
He said both children have a history of travel to Hong Kong and United States, while the two adults are "contacts of confirmed cases of Taiwan."
The Philippines' first two confirmed cases include a 10-year-old Filipino girl who travelled in the United States and Canada and a 50-year-old Filipina balikbayan from Chicago.
Duque said three of the confirmed cases have already recovered from the viral infection.
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School H1N1
There is a news story on BBC about 50 cases of infection in a Primary School in Birmingham England. I'm wondering if the government is waiting for such an event to happen before postponing class opening?
For interested parties, the link is http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/8067907.stm
I feel that the most prudent thing to do is to go along with the proposal of the Head of the Chinese General Hospital to postpone opening for 1 month.
It may appear to be drastic and most of the opinions revolve around the fact that its just a mild virus.
Well thats the misconception and if people would only read more about it particularly on the WHO website, they will see that the danger of this virus lies in two things:
1. The fact that it is a mutation of the Influenza A virus with swine and bird flu components which lead to its being passed along easily and quickly BECAUSE WE HAVE NO ANTIBODIES for this!
2. The other thing is the deadly part, the virus mutation occurs when the gene is passed along from person to person. The WHO itself has PUBLICLY stated that this mutation is likely and will be DEADLY. This mutation is accelerated through person to person infection. Imagine the repercussions of an single infected person attending the overcrowded and highly populated Payatas school which was featured in the news last night?
Thus any move on each persons part to help slow the spead of the virus will be a big help in preventing or at least delaying the mutation.
We in the Philippines have the sorry distinction of being in the forefront of another gene variation, the EBOLA-RESTON virus. This is a mild form of the EBOLA virus which also affects SWINE. On my part, I am praying for our sake that this H1N1 does not decide to unite with Ebola Reston to produce God knows what kind of virus.
If the government does not take decisive action I fear that we may unwittingly serve to be the breeding ground for a virus that just might wipe out millions again.
The logistics of delaying classes is so simple compared to the nightmare of containing an infection which spread rapidly while waiting for what the DOH calls "COMMUNITY LEVEL INFECTION"
It is my sincere hope that the government can be prevailed upon by these facts to declare the suspension of class opening to PREVENT and not wait for the so-called "COMMUNITY LEVEL INFECTION" at which point it will be too late.