RP adopts new tack vs H1N1 as cases rise to 111
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/13/2009 6:22 PM
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MANILA - The Philippines' cases of influenza A (H1N1) rose to 111 after authorities on Saturday confirmed 19 new cases, mostly from a school in central Luzon.
In a press briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque announced that 11 out of the 19 new cases are males, eight are females. All the males are from Hilera Elementary School in Jaen, Nueva Ecija.
He said they have not yet been able to trace the index case in Nueva Ecija.
Duque said all 111 cases are "mild," which means none of the infected people developed severe complications of the disease.
One of the 19 new cases is a foreigner from Iran. The rest are Filipinos.
Duque said he expects the number of cases in the Philippines to rise as the government continues to trace the contacts of those who have been infected.
Mitigation strategy
After a six-hour meeting on Saturday of the Department of Health, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, and the World Health Organization (WHO) , Duque announced a shift in its approach to managing the influenza A(H1N1) disease from "containment" to "mitigation strategy."
Aside from Duque, those who attended the meeting were Department of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde, Dr. Yolanda Oliveros of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, acting World Health Organization (WHO) country representative Dr. Howard Sobel, and Julito Vitriolo, executive director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Under the new strategy, Duque said it would be useless to suspend classes if there is already an H1N1 outbreak in a community. Suspension of classes will be done on a case-by-case basis depending on whether it would help contain the spread of the disease.
In communities where the spread can still be averted, containment will still be done to stop the virus from spreading.
Duque cited the case of Mindanao where there is still no confirmed H1N1 case. In these areas, contact tracing and quarantine of patients will still help.
But in areas where there is already a community outbreak of the virus, Lapus said there is no reason to "go on and off" with respect to holding classes.
Duque said that in these areas where there is already a community outbreak, households should be prepared to treat mild H1N1 cases at home by giving infected people with anti-virals, practicing self-quarantine, and giving supportive care.
Vulnerable groups
Duque said the mitigation strategy means that not all suspected or confirmed H1N1 cases will have to be confined in a medical facility.
Only suspected or confirmed H1N1 cases from "high risk" or "vulnerable groups" will have to be hospitalized.
Among those considered "high risk" are the very young and the elderly, people with diabetes, heart and lung diseases, tuberculosis, pregnant women, people with immune-related ailments or "immuno-compromised individuals" such as those with HIV-AIDS.
All mild cases will be put under home-based treatment.
As of June 12, the Philippines had the biggest number of H1N1 cases in Southeast Asia with 77. Vietnam was next with 23, Singapore with 18, Thailand with 8, Malaysia with 5.
No widepread transmission
Despite its inability to trace the index case in Nueva Ecija, Duque insisted the Philippines still does not have widespread community transmission since they can still trace the contacts of the confirmed cases.
However, the reported suspected H1N1 cases in a Bulacan high school might force authorities to say that there is already community transmission in Bulacan. Results of the Bulacan suspect cases could be announced on Monday.
Classes at the Doña Candelaria Meneses Duque High School in Bulacan town, Bulacan province have been suspended after several students exhibited flu-like symptoms.
The flu-like illness started from one section of the school's second year level. The illness reportedly spread to other levels, prompting the school's management to call the DOH's attention.
Throat swab samples taken from the students have been brought to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine office in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The entire school has been "disinfected."
Schools open June 15
Vitriolo said classes in most colleges and universities will open on Monday after the CHED moved the opening from June 8 to June 15.
He expressed hope that the suspension of classes helped prevent the spread of the virus.
The De La Salle University (DLSU) student who went home to Bacolod after DLSU suspended classes has been discharged, Duque said.
Three tertiary level schools -- De la Salle University, College of St. Benilde, Far Eastern University-East Asia College – have students infected with the new virus.
21st centry flu pandemic
The WHO declared the first flu pandemic of the 21st century Thursday, urging countries to shore up defenses against the virus which is "not stoppable" but has proved mainly mild so far.
The United Nations agency raised its pandemic flu alert to phase 6 on a six-point scale, indicating the first influenza pandemic since 1968 is under way.
"This is a very important and challenging day for all of us. It is important because we will be raising our pandemic alert level to level 6," WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan told reporters on a teleconference.
"At this time, the global assessment is that we are seeing a moderate pandemic."
Acting on the recommendation of flu experts, the WHO reiterated its advice to its 193 member countries not to close borders or impose travel restrictions to halt the movement of people, goods and services.
The move to phase 6 reflects the fact that the disease, widely known as swine flu, was spreading geographically, but does not indicate how virulent it is.
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