A(H1N1) cases soar to 7 but no cause for alarm—CHO
Additional 2 cases of A(H1N1) were reported in Zamboanga City over the weekend, bringing the total number of cases to 7 as of press time.
However, City Health Officer Rodel Agbulos maintained that people have no cause for worry or panic as he emphasized that A (H1N1) is a self limiting disease and just like the seasonal influenza, can be recovered within a period of days, with or without medication.
The two new cases confirmed by the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) of the Department of Health in Manila Saturday were students of the Bethany School located at the Gov. Ramos, Sta. Maria.
However, Agbulos said, the two students who were confirmed to have been afflicted with the virus have fully recovered from the disease long before the results of the swab tests reached the city.
As this developed, classes at the Bethany School has been suspended for 10 days effective yesterday, July 13 for sanitation purposes.
A clustering of students in the school showed that aside from the two confirmed cases, a number of students, both in the high school and grade school levels, were also reported to be afflicted with influenza like symptoms
“We recommended for the suspension of classes for 10 days temporarily, for the school to be able to sanitize the area and for those who are sick to fully recover at home”, the city health officer revealed.
He said the CHO is still awaiting the results of other tests conducted by the RITM-DOH in Manila and while these results are pending, a check with other schools—both public and private showed an increase in the number of influenza like symptoms, not necessarily A(H1N1) among students.
“We visited other schools and we discovered that there were a number of students with influenza-like symptoms but just these are just cases of ordinary flu”, the health official said.
Under the new guidelines of the DOH, classes in schools can be suspended if there is a clustering of students with influenza-like symptoms, not necessarily A(H1N1) cases.
Among the schools visited by the CHO were those located in Mercedes, Tugbungan and private schools like Bethany, Zion and even the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Tumaga.
“But despite the 7 cases, there is no need to be alarmed, because influenza A (H1N1) is seemingly the same as the seasonal influenza that can be recovered within a period of 7 days with or without medication because it is a self limiting disease”, Dr. Agbulos added. (Sheila Covarrubias)