Amid Zambo’s first A(H1N1) case, Celso to Zambo folk: Don’t panic as preventive steps are being done
Mayor Celso Lobregat has asked the Zamboangueños not to panic amid the confirmation yesterday by local health authorities that an elementary pupil of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University has been found positive for influenza A(H1N1), a viral infection that has caused so much national and global scare.
“It is confirmed that we have one A(H1N1) case but this is not a reason for us to panic. Let us remain calm because everything is being done to prevent further infections,” Lobregat told a hastily called news conference yesterday morning in City Hall. “We are doing everything we can and we urge the media to handle this information very carefully so as not to unduly alarm the public,” he stressed.
Quoting a report from the City Health Office and the Department of Health (DOH-9), Mayor Lobregat said the nine-year-old boy, whose identity like those of other influenza victims has been withheld, is now doing fine and back in school following viral treatment and quarantine procedures.
Lobregat said that as early as May 24 the CHO and DOH-9, in coordination with the private and government hospitals in the city, have been sending swab samples from suspected influenza patients here to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila for testing.
“It turned out those samples were negative and it is only now that we have one confirmed A(H1N1) case,” Lobregat said, adding that the city government through CHO is committed to assisting the hospitalization expenses of anyone found positive for influenza, a virus suspected to have mutated from combination of swine (pig), avian (bird) and human influenza viruses.
For his part, Dr. Rodel Agbulos said a four-bed isolation ward has been reserved at the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) for influenza patients, should there be any in the future.
Dr. Agbulos said that the confirmation of a boy’s case was relayed Wednesday night by an epidemiologist from DOH. “It shows we have here good surveillance and precautionary measures and our monitoring will continue,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fr. Antonio Moreno, president of ADZU, told the media that the school health officials have been monitoring the school children in the affected class and that there is nothing to be alarmed.
Because of the incident, he said, authorities are conducting contact tracing but admitted that what is difficult is the fact that results of throat swabs tests take one to two weeks to come out. “This is what happened to the boy, we had him checked and the results of the tests came out only Wednesday night”.
He told the media that suspension of classes at the university may be decided anytime soon, depending though on the advice of and guidelines set by the DOH.
“If that happens, we might suspend classes of the section where the boy is attending and the adjacent section, but definitely not in all levels,” Fr. Moreno said. “As of now, we have not been advised on class suspension yet,” he added. Moreno was scheduled to meet yesterday afternoon with the parents of ADZU Grade School students to discuss issues and concerns pertaining to influenza A(H1N1).
“We appeal that the information be handled very carefully because right now text messages are spreading like fire, we appeal to the media to help us disseminate the information, we are doing what we can and there are measures in place and there is no cause for alarm”, the ADZU president said.
Contact tracing conducted by DOH showed that the boy became ill on June 22 and ADZU authorities on June 23 learned that he acquired the influenza virus through contact with a visitor-family friend from Manila, who was later found positive for the influenza strain. The boy and his family were immediately quarantined and treated.
On June 29, the boy got well and reported back to his classes. But RITM Manila relayed through text messaging the findings of the examination on the boy’s swab samples Wednesday night (July 1), confirming he had contracted the virus.
Also joining the press conference were ADZU school physician Dr. Edwina Cabatao; Dr. Norvie Taruc, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU); Dr. Dulce Dagalea, city epidemiologist; and Councilor Lilia Nuño, chair of the City Council’s committee on health.
As of yesterday, the Philippines registered a total of 1,709 cases of influenza A(H1N1), the highest in Southeast Asia. So far, 36 other countries have reported 8,451 cases. (Vic Larato)