By Jeff Marchesseault

GUAM - Now that Guam's Department of Public Health and Social Services has confirmed four cases of the H1N1 virus on island, DPHSS remains silent on what it is doing to help prevent the swine flu from spreading further, beyond the confirmed and 'contained' two independent cases that have arisen from air travel, much less the pair of cases sharing a household on Guam with one of the recently infected off-island travelers.

At this point, the media and the public have been told that the individuals who tested positive have been isolated at home and are being monitored and treated. We know their genders and ages. We know that we must cover our nose and mouth with a tissue when we cough or sneeze and that we must keep our hands clean. And we know that we, too, must call our doctors and stay home for at least a week to recover if we develop flu-like symptoms.

But aside from these bare facts and public advisories, there's still a lot we don't know.

As Guam News Factor reported yesterday:

Aside from these few demographic details, no other information has been provided to the media or to Guam News Factor about what efforts are being made to identify other Guam residents who are at risk, such as those who may have been passengers on the same flights of now-confirmed H1N1 patients returning to Guam.

Guam News Factor has asked the Department of Public Health and Social Services several times for specific information about what it plans to do, what it has done, or even what it won't do when it comes to preventing swine flu from spreading further on Guam.

As Guam News Factor reported on Tuesday, "The World Health Organization now suspects that the H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu) has begun spreading within Pacific communities."

As GNF also mentioned on Tuesday, by then Radio Fiji had already reported this about the spread of the H1N1 virus:

WHO Representative for the South Pacific Dr Ken Chen, notes the sharp increase in cases in recent days, including in the Pacific. Dr. Chen says it is likely that people are already being infected in the community; so it's not only a risk for travellers anymore.

Dr. Chen's admonition sends a clear message that a system of proactive prevention should be policy in all local communities, including Guam.

To date Public Health officials have failed to inform the community of what Public Health is doing to prevent the spread of H1N1 on island at a most fundamental level -- whether Public Health plans to interview (or whether DPHSS already has interviewed) any of the test-positive individuals about the details of their whereabouts at the time they began feeling ill -- for the purpose of informing those with whom they may have come into contact.

What precise locations did the off-island travelers visit while they were abroad? What flights did they board? Did they linger at any airports in transit? Furthermore, what locations on island might they have visited before they were tested and diagnosed? And what were the routes of visitation of the two children who contracted the illness while on island?

A day before Public Health confirmed Guam's second, third and fourth cases of swine flu, a Public Health official intimated to Guam News Factor that, aside from precautionary notices given to those in transit at the airport, no plan was in place to inform passengers that they had flown en route to Guam with a test-positive case (the island's first confirmed case, a Yigo resident who'd flown back home from a work conference in Texas).

If you came into contact with one of these individuals while they were carrying the virus, would you want to know for the purpose of protecting yourself, your family and your peers?

As Radio Fiji also reported on July 3rd, Dr. Chen pointed out that, in most patients, the illness is mild, but that in a small percentage of cases, the illness may become more serious. Radio Fiji went on to say:

People at risk of developing severe influenza are persons with underlying conditions such as diabetes, obesity, chronic heart disease, asthma, the very old, the very young, and pregnant women.

With Guam's high incidence of diabetes, obesity and heart disease and its share of Man'Amko, Man'Hoben, and pregnant women, according to the prevalently reported risk factors (listed in the italicized excerpt above), Guam's at-risk demographics would make a significant number of individuals susceptible to severe influenza.

John Dela Rosa contributed to this report.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

Comments

Add New Search

Write comment

Name: Email:  do not notifynotify Website: Title: UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge     Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."