CEBU CITY - Three students of the University of Cebu (UC) Lapu-Lapu-Mandaue Campus were tested positive of A H1N1 virus. Result of their throat swab from Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) came Saturday afternoon.

Atty. Augustus Go, UC president, ordered the immediate suspension of classes on the campus. The suspension of classes would last for 10 days.

Dr. Susana Madarieta of the Department of Health in Central Visayas said that the three students are in their first and second year of nautical courses. She said the affected students are Filipinos with Norwegian scholarship grants.

Madarieta said that these students lived in one dormitory. She said that one of those who tested positive came from Luzon and had contact with people from places with confirmed cases of the virus.

She said that seven students were tested for the A (H1N1) virus and only three of them have been found positive. Madarieta said that the results of three students are still pending at the RITM while one has been confirmed as negative.

The DOH official said that prior to the seven students, there were a few students who lived in the dormitory who had fever. She said the campus’ doctor did not take it as alarming until the number of students with fever rose suddenly. The campus doctor then sought the help of the DOH.

Dorm under quarantine

For the meantime, the three students along with the other more than 500 students in the dormitory have been placed in quarantine. The students however took the 10 days of being shut down from outside as a time to relax. They said that they can always play basketball and enjoy the days with no classes or study their lessons to maintain their scholarships.

Madarieta said that there are already 12 confirmed cases of A (H1N1) in Cebu and 112 cases under observation.

She said eight confirmed cases have recovered already from the influenza A virus.

The four new cases, which include the three students, are in quarantine and the other one, who is a 30-years old, is being treated in a private hospital.