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Saturday, March 29, 2003
Not SARS, docs say; patient discharged today
DAVAO -- The patient who sought medical clearance to return to Singapore after suffering from cough and fever has been cleared of the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) and will be discharged Saturday. The diagnosis: bronchitis.
"Definitely, hindi SARS. Salamat sa ginoo (It's definitely not SARS, thank God). In fact, she has already recovered," Department of Health 11 Director Dolores Castillo told Sun.Star Friday.
"At least sigurado tayo na hindi nga ganun yung case niya," she added. (We are assured that she isn't afflicted with SARS.)
Castillo, however, took note of the undue panic that followed text messages forwarded from cellular phone to cellular phone regarding the suspected SARS case since Thursday.
"Wala tay angay kahadlukan, kinahanglan lang pirmi tang vigilant," she said. (We have nothing to fear, we only have to be vigilant.)
Those who have been to countries where there are reported cases of SARS and are suffering from cough, high fever, and shortness of breath should immediately seek medical attention.
DOH 11 was alerted to the suspected SARS case after the patient, a lady domestic helper who is working in Singapore, underwent a medical check-up for her cough and slight fever at the Davao Doctors Hospital so she can get a clearance and return to work.
Sun.Star is withholding the identity of the patient to protect her and her family.
The patient, a resident of Buhangin district, arrived from Singapore last March 13 to attend a graduation ceremony of a relative. After arriving home, she went to Midsayap in Cotabato (not Malaybalay as earlier revealed by Castillo) for three days to visit relatives.
She returned to Davao City to prepare for her departure back to Singapore.
When the attending physician noted that the patient had just arrived from Singapore, he advised isolation as a precautionary measure pending the thorough diagnosis of the patient's disease.
DOH 11 was then alerted.
Word about the suspected SARS patient apparently leaked to the less knowing public somewhere between the isolation of the patient and the alert to the DOH 11, and panicky messages were forwarded from one mobile phone to another. A huge number of the text messages warned against going to Davao Doctors.
While the public panicked, the DOH 11 set in motion other precautionary measures like setting up an isolation room at the Davao Medical Center for other possible SARS cases. The family members and housemaid of the patient have likewise been checked.
Dr. Herminio Villano, Davao Doctors Hospital president, admitted the move of isolating the patient was a precautionary measure that had to be taken.
"Kung hindi yun na-isolate at lumabas na Sars lahat ng doktor at pasyente na may contact sa kanya iya-isolate din," Villano said in a television interview Friday. (If the patient was not isolated immediately and she checked positive for SARS then all doctors and patients who came in contact with her will have to be isolated)
"Nung makita ng doktor may konting ubo at may konting lagnat at galing sa Singapore, natakot siya at pina-confine ang pasyente," Villano said in the interview. (When the doctor noted that the patient had cough and a slight fever and has recently arrived from Singapore, the doctor feared that it could be a SARS case and had the patient confined.)
"Pagkatapos ng mga exams at history-taking wala namang makitang ebidensiya na Sars. In fact, bukas uuwi na siya," Villano said. (After thorough examination and history taking there was no indication that it was SARS. She will be going home tomorrow.)
The patient was diagnosed to be suffering from bronchitis.
He added that contrary to text messages warning people against going to Davao Doctors, he said the hospital has all available equipment to deal with the disease.
He stressed that the isolation of the lady patient was nothing but a precautionary measure. Sun.Star Davao
(March 29, 2003 issue)
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