Warning aired vs fogging, aspirin to counter dengue

A health official warned the public on Friday against offers to conduct preventive fogging services, traders selling equipment for fogging operations and the use of aspiring to counter fever associated with dengue. Dr. Eric Tayag, head of the Health Department's National Epidemiology Center, said many firms have been noted to use the dengue outbreak in some areas to pitch fogging equipment and services. "That kind of fogging will just give you a false sense of security. It is supposed to be for adult mosquitoes, not for prevention. And it's like an anti-terrorist operation where you fire indiscriminately not knowing where your target is. You're wasting your ammo. What are your protecting yourself against?" Tayag, speaking in Filipino, said in an interview on dzBB radio Friday. He said this is why the DOH makes sure its fogging operations against dengue in some areas are coordinated with the local government officials concerned. Tayag also said the DOH has taken a new approach to stopping dengue, taking preventive steps at the barangay level. At present, he said authorities are watching at least five barangays in Manila and 14 in Quezon City to make sure they do not reach "epidemic" level. No aspirin Tayag also warned against taking aspirin for fever if they believe the fever was caused by dengue, saying it will worsen the situation. "Aspirin will make things worse if you're suffering from dengue because it will thin your blood. Dengue already thins your blood, so you'll bleed more if you take aspirin," he said, also in Filipino. He said people who have fever 38 degrees or higher for two to three days should assume they have dengue, and see a doctor immediately. Tayag said parents should bring their children to a doctor immediately after noticing such symptoms, even if the doctor says they could come back "after two to three days." He said the DOH has already ordered hospitals to set up express lanes for dengue patients. Some 13,468 cases had been recorded from January 1 to August 29 this year. Of these cases, 167 resulted in the patients' deaths. Of the 13,468 cases, Metro Manila had the most with 4,022 cases with 50 deaths, followed by Central Luzon with 1,898 cases and Central Visayas with 1,752 cases and Cordillera with 922. On Thursday, Tayag said the DOH confirmed dengue had reached epidemic level in Barangay Mabangcal in Morong, Rizal province. Rizal local officials have also placed three municipalities under a state of calamity. Morong Mayor Jojo Buenaventura and Teresa Mayor Rodel Dela Cruz declared a state of calamity over their respective towns on Thursday while San Mateo Mayor Ariel Diaz placed his town under a state of calamity two weeks ago. In Morong, 79 cases - which resulted in the three deaths - were recorded from January to September 6. Tayag, for his part, said the DOH is now closely observing several barangays in Manila and Quezon City. In Quezon City, he said the barangays being watched include Tatalon, Tandang Sora, San Bartolome, Matambong, Loyola Heights, Payatas, Holy Spirit, Gulod, Novaliches, Cubao, Commonwealth, Manresa, Batasan Hills and Bagbag. In Manila, these include Sta. Cruz, Oroquieta, Quiricada, Hermosa, and M. Varona in Tondo. "These are areas where clusters of dengue cases had been reported in the past two to four weeks," he said.-GMANews.TV