Ilonggo balikbayan family 'quarantined' for H1N1 virus tests
Saturday’s momentous homecoming of an Ilonggo balikbayan family of three turned into a health emergency and brought up close and personal the swine flu scare here.
This as the thermal scanning equipment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila picked up the trio’s body temperature registering high fever. Said equipment is the first alarm signal and first line of defense of this country on the now globally-dreaded virus. Such as governments all over the world have been advised to seriously take precautionary measures.
The News Today (TNT) in a text message was informed hours after the Ilonggo family was secured by airport officials and quarantined as per standing order by the Department of Health (DOH).
Bound for Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, the Ilonggo family came from San Francisco, California, USA with a connecting flight that would have brought them home to Iloilo Saturday afternoon.
The source said immediate laboratory tests were ordered at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Manila. By Saturday evening, results reportedly came back negative for the swine flu virus technically labeled by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the 2009 H1N1.
Deputy Presidential Spokesman Dr. Anthony Golez was reached by Bombo Radyo for update. Golez, quoting Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the trio’s fever was caused by chicken pox and tonsillitis and not H1N1 virus. There was also no legal, medical or substantial reason to hold the family, thus the clearance granted to continue with their domestic flight.
It was not immediately clear if the family managed to board Iloilo-bound planes yesterday as text messages spread particularly with the local media.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. was reached for related news update as information scattered that the Ilonggo secretary was in the same flight taken by the quarantined family’s companions. Gonzalez confirmed the hometown as Barotac Viejo, Iloilo but opted to withhold identities of the family members.
One text message stated that Secretary Gonzalez was privy to the report and that whereabouts of six other family members are also being located for further tests.
TNT was told that efforts are underway to ascertain current locations of the city’s latest balikbayans if only to make sure that no one manifests flu-like symptoms in the coming days.
To note, the WHO in an update confirmed that as of yesterday, cases of H1N1 virus reached 659 in 16 countries. In Hongkong, one hotel guest who came in from Mexico tested positive yesterday morning. Authorities were immediately alerted that had over 300 guests and hotel staff quarantined as of press time.
The DOH here in a latest precautionary move issued a “swine flu advisory” particularly since the global alert level was raised to second highest at Phase 5.
“Phase 5 means that there is now “human to human transmission of the virus causing sustained community outbreaks in at least two countries in one WHO region”. In this scenario, it is expected that air travel can further spread illness thus increasing the risk of a full-scale pandemic. All countries are now expected to ready the full implementation of their Pandemic Response Plans Thus, today, I have convened a Command Conference with all the Directors of the Centers for Health Development and the DOH-retained Hospitals including all regional epidemiologists to discuss the readiness plans and command and control systems for an imminent pandemic.I am also calling for a meeting with the Chiefs of all private hospitals to coordinate with the DOH on how they can prepare and respond to possible cases of the Mexican Swine Flu which may come to their attention.We will also collaborate with the business sector and members of the pharmaceutical sector on how they can contribute to the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan,” Health Secretary Duque III in a public statement said.
Swine flu is a type of influenza virus usually found in pigs with H1N1 as the most common. The current global virus however is a new variation of an H1N1 that had health experts worldwide highly concerned because it has shown the ability to pass from human to human. When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight, since the people have no natural immunity.