Kaukulang hakbang laban sa bagong SARS virus strain, nakahanda -- Valte

Tiniyak ng Palasyo sa publiko na gumagawa kaukulang hakbang ang pamahalaan upang maiwasan na makapasok sa bansa ng bagong uri ng virus na nagdudulot ng Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).   Ayon kay Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, wala pa namang pangangailangan na ilagay sa heightened alert ang sitwasyon.   “Essentially we want to assure the public the Department of Health is already aware of this situation and it is closely working with the World Health Organization on any update or progress in the situation,” sabi ni Valte sa dzRB radio nitong Sabado.   Sa ngayon, gumagamit ang mga tauhan sa paliparan ng operating scanners para malaman kung may palatandaan ng sakit -- tulad ng lagnat -- ang dumadating na mga pasahero.   "At this point walang need (for) heightened alert other than the normal procedures we conduct sa lahat na dumadaan sa ating paliparan," paliwanag ng opisyal.   Kamakailan lang, nagpahayag ng pagkabahala si WHO Director General Margaret Chan, sa kanyang closing remark sa 66th World Health Assembly, tungkol sa nasabing virus.   Hinikayat niya ang international community na gumawa kaagad ng aksyon laban dito.   "Looking at the overall world health situation, my greatest concern right now is the novel coronavirus. We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat. Any new disease that is emerging faster than our understanding is never under control,"  sabi ni Chan.   Sa ngayon ay hindi pa rin umano tukoy kung saan matatagpuan ang virus o kung paano ito naililipat sa tao.   "We are empty-handed when it comes to prevention," ayon sa opisyal ng WHO, sabay dagdag na sana magsilbi itong "alarm bells" para umaksyon ang mga kinauukulan.   "The novel coronavirus is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself. The novel coronavirus is a threat to the entire world. As the Chair of committee A succinctly stated: this virus is something that can kill us," sabi niya. - JGV/FRJ, GMA News