Quezon City logs 129.80% increase of dengue cases

A total of 1,280 cases of dengue have been recorded in Quezon City for the past seven months, the City’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) said on Monday.

Compared to the same period last year, the CESU said cases rose by 129.80%.

So far, Quezon City also recorded seven deaths due to dengue.

“We are seeing a rise in cases in our city, not just of COVID-19 but also of dengue so we are encouraging our residents to get tested so they can seek consultation and start treatment early,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte.

“Prevention is better than cure. We cannot address this alone and we highly encourage our residents to take part in helping the community, in their own way, to prevent the rising cases of dengue. Let us help our community so you can also protect your own family,” she added.

CESU officer-in-charge Dr. Esperanza Arias said residents who experience a sudden onset of fever for two to five days should go to the nearest health center to seek consultation.

Arias also said some COVID-19 symptoms are similar to dengue.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the symptoms of dengue include the sudden onset of fever for two to seven days, headache, body weakness, joint and muscle pains, pain behind the eyes, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes.

The World Health Organization (WHO), meanwhile, said the most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, tiredness, and loss of taste or smell.

Sore throat, headache, aches and pains, diarrhea, rash on the skin, and red or irritated eyes are among the less common symptoms of COVID-19.

Last week, DOH said 82,597 dengue cases have been recorded in the country from January 1 to July 16, a 106% increase from the number of reported cases in the same period last year.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said Region III had the most reported dengue cases with 13,449, followed by Region VII with 8,905 cases, and the National Capital Region with 6,884 cases.

She said 10 out of 17 regions exceeded the epidemic threshold in the past four weeks, with Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, and the Cordillera Administrative Region showing an increasing trend from June 19 to July 16.—Mel Matthew Doctor/AOL, GMA News