As cases go up in QC

QUEZON CITY Mayor Joy Belmonte has called on the city residents to get tested for dengue if they are experiencing any symptoms.

Belmonte made the call in view of increasing dengue cases in the city.

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

City Health Department Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Dr. Esperanza Arias, meanwhile, said that residents who experience a sudden onset of fever of two to five days should go to the nearest health center to seek consultation.

Arias further noted that some COVID-19 symptoms are similar to dengue, so there’s a need to get tested for both.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the period of the drop in bodily temperature between 3-6 days of infection marks the transition of the disease from mild to more serious categories.

The symptoms of dengue include sudden onset of fever of 2 to 7 days, plus two of the following: headache, body weakness, joint and muscle pains, pain behind the eyes, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes.

The DOH further noted that it is important to seek early consultation between 1-3 days of fever to immediately recognize the disease, which may require the patient to increase fluid intake, especially “Oral Rehydration Solution”, which is proven to be life-saving for dengue patients.

The city government has been implementing “search and destroy” operations such as identifying breeding places and clean-up drives, covering water receptacles such as buckets, pails, and even plants with axles that can also be breeding places for mosquitos.

The residents are also being oriented on the 4S’s. These stand for “Search” and destroy mosquito-breeding sites, secure “Self-protection” measures like wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and daily use of mosquito repellent, “Seek” early consultation, and “Support” fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.

From January to July 28, 2022, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit recorded 1,280 dengue cases, or a 129.80% increase compared to the same period last year and seven recorded deaths.

“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,” the mayor said.