CEBU CITY -- One of the exclusive schools in Metro Cebu denied Friday reports that 42 of its students fell ill with flu symptoms and that they prevented the Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas from taking respiratory swabs as a precaution against influenza A (H1N1).

Administrators of the private school Paref Springdale told reporters that only 12 of their students were recorded by their school clinic as having influenza-like symptoms.

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“What we have here are all cases of the seasonal flu,” said Paref Springdale executive director Ric Ampiloquio.

All the students have since recovered.

Cebu City Schools Superintendent Dr. Lorna Rances, according to a radio dyLA report, also confirmed the correct number when she visited Paref Springdale Friday to check on orders of Department of Education (DepEd)-Central Visayas Director Dr. Recaredo Borgonia.

Rances said the 42 that reports initially identified were part of a list of all students who have reported to the school clinic since classes opened. Some of these 42 children did not suffer from fever, but skin rashes and other ailments.

Paref-Springdale, she confirmed, has complied with the requirements for schools, like hand washing facilities, precautionary measures against H1N1 and other guidelines issued by the DOH.

“I ask the media to please clarify their reports before releasing them. Though I appreciate news reports since they can provide information and updates, media should at least be careful on what they report to avoid causing any panic,” said Rances, in Cebuano.

As of Friday, an additional five cases of H1N1 were reported in Central Visayas, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 38.

The five new cases are a 30-year-old male from Las Piñas, a 56-year-old woman from Cebu, a 15-year-old boy from Consolacion, a five-year-old boy from Cebu and a 30-year-old female from Cebu.

Kintanar assured the public that all five cases are recovering.

A total of 212 cases under observation have been reported in Central Visayas since May, with 38 H1N1 positive cases and 39 still waiting for results.

Dr. Cora-Lou Kintanar, DOH-Central Visayas Pandemic Influenza Incident Command spokesperson, reminded all institutions to report to the DOH immediately if there are cases of students who fall ill with flu-like symptoms.

“We’re not here about getting the names, but this is about surveillance. This is a new virus, and we need to study it. We look at the ages, the places where it spreads. We need to know its trends. This is a public health threat globally; they should be on their toes,” said Kintanar.

While one may seek consultation in private hospitals, testing for the flu virus should still only be done in laboratories accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

As of the moment, only the RITM may test for H1N1, while the Armed Forces Research Institute for Medical Science (Afrims) at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center is allowed to test for influenza A.

“Results of any other hospital are unofficial,” said Kintanar.

She added that Dr. Angelita Salarda, chief of the DOH-Central Visayas health and regulation division, has met with the private hospital that has reportedly been taking swab tests for influenza A.

“Dr. Salarda has gone to the hospital already to discuss with them the guidelines and come up with an agreement on what to do with the cases,” said Kintanar.

Tests

A single testing kit for H1N1 would cost roughly P4,000, she said.

“That is why we do not charge for the testing, so that each and every case will be recorded by the DOH,” said Dr. Kintanar.

In Paref Springdale’s case, Ampiloquio clarified that they never denied the DOH access to take swabs from the students, but merely asked that the school be allowed to follow proper protocol in taking the swabs and informing the parents.

“We have never hesitated and we have not denied the testing. But we want to do this carefully, we do not want to cause any panic,” said Ampiloquio.

Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu)-Central Visayas epidemiologist Renan Cimafranca visited the school Friday to address concerns over the collection of respiratory swabs.

“We will be conducting a swab collection of those who are manifesting any symptoms. We have left instructions to the school nurse that we will collect samples on Monday,” said Cimafranca.

School nurse Jhunard Conejos said they also called the DOH, asking for advice. However, when the DOH suggested that a team would go to their school and take swabs from the students, Conejos “told them, ‘Right now I can’t decide on that. I would have to ask the administration and ask for the permission from the parents of the children who will be swabbed.’”

Cimafranca said that considering this is a public health emergency, school administrators need not ask the permission of the children’s parents to take throat swabs.

Conejos assured, however, that the school is taking all precautionary measures against the H1N1 virus. “After classes, we have a disinfection of rooms. We started that a week after we opened classes,” he said.

He added that they have also asked all teachers to ask students to return home if they show any flu symptoms. (EPB/JKV/Sun.Star Cebu)