43-year-old teacher is 4th A(H1N1)-related death in RP

MANILA, Philippines – A 43-year-old female teacher who died the other day in a hospital in Muntinlupa City was found to be infected with the Influenza A(H1N1) virus. Omar Acosta, Muntinlupa public information chief, told GMANews.TV that the teacher was confined at the Ospital ng Muntinlupa Sunday after experiencing vomiting and diarrhea. Three days after her confinement, at 4:45 a.m. of Wednesday, the teacher died. "Na-dehydrate daw sabi ng hospital officials. At naka-aggravate ang A(H1N1)," Acosta said. Health officials were only able to confirm on Friday that the woman had contracted the virus. The public school teacher was stricken with cancer five years ago, but Acosta quoted doctors as saying "it (the cancer) could not have been connected to her death." Acosta refused to identify the teacher or the school where she worked, but assured that school officials began disinfecting its premises on Friday. "Kahit yung principal, in a way, parang naka-quarantine na rin. Mino-monitor na ang kanyang kondisyon kasi nakausap pa niya ‘yung teacher bago ma-confine [Even the principal is, in a way, on quarantine. Her condition is being monitored because she talked with the teacher before the patient was confined]," Acosta said. The teacher's colleagues and students have all been advised to seek medical attention should they experience flu-like symptoms. Acosta stressed that despite the incident, classes in the school where the teacher worked will not be suspended. The teacher's two sons have also been placed under quarantine after developing flu-like symptoms. A medical team continues to monitor the condition of the teacher's entire family. Muntinlupa Mayor Aldrin San Pedro on Friday ordered the use of city funds to buy extra stocks of anti-viral drug oseltamivir, which would be given to infected people for free. The DOH has separate stocks of the anti-viral drug - a total of 1.2 million capsules - which it also gives out for free only to confirmed cases. Update Erickson dela Cruz, emergency officer at the Department of Health (DOH) operating center, said the death toll for A(H1N1)-related cases in the Philippines remains at three. "As of now, wala pa kaming natatanggap na report na ganyan [We have yet to receive a report about the death]," he said in an interview with GMANews.TV. Acosta, however, assured that the DOH would soon be including the teacher in their tally. "Ang nag-confirm dito ay city health officials namin na connected din sa DOH [The death of an A(H1N1) victim was confirmed by city health officials connected with the DOH]." The first three confirmed A(H1N1)-related deaths included a 49-year-old House of Representatives employee, who had a heart disease. The other deaths were a 19-year-old man with asthma and a 49-year-old man with emphysema. The DOH has confirmed 2,668 A(H1N1) cases since the agency started testing mouth swabs in May 1. Confirmed cases in the Philippines have a 95 percent recovery rate – with 2,543 of the infected patients getting well. The DOH has earlier stopped issuing its regular A(H1N1) updates after shifting from containment to mitigation. A low-level community outbreak has already been declared in parts of Metro Manila, in Eastern Visayas and Baguio City. The outbreak declaration was made in Eastern Visayas after the tally of confirmed cases in the region rose to more than 100. In Baguio, five schools remained closed Friday after students displayed flu-like symptoms. The A(H1N1) situation in Metro Manila had likewise triggered the suspension of classes and delay of school openings in several colleges and universities. In its last update, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the virus has so far infected 94,512 people, with 429 deaths, mostly in the United States and Mexico. - GMANews.TV