Metro Manila universities battle fast-moving swine flu

MANILA, Philippines – College freshmen on various campuses will take a longer time getting to know each other after freshmen orientation and welcome assemblies have been canceled by officials at a growing number of universities, among a host of extraordinary measures to contain the spread of A(H1N1). The mutant virus has so far caused no fatalities in the Philippines but infected at least 46 people already, triggering a wave of unease throughout densely populated cities. Among the preventive measures on college campuses: The University of the Philippines-Diliman canceled its traditional welcome assembly today. Officials there have also ordered the distribution of posters with health guidelines. The University of the East will use digital thermometers to take the temperatures of everyone entering its Manila and Caloocan campuses. The University of Santo Tomas has assigned a medical team to each school building to respond to any signs of illness. The university, which has both medical and nursing schools, will also distribute cardboard fans with health guidelines to students, faculty, and university staff. In addition to suspending its freshman orientation, the Ateneo de Manila University is requiring all students to reveal recent travel information online and those coming from abroad to observe a ten-day self-quarantine as recommended by the Department of Health. Eight college students in Metro Manila so far are known to have been infected on campuses that already had ongoing classes. Health officials say it is possible they could have been infected just by being in the same classroom as virus carriers. The cancellation of campus activities has come in the wake of the announcement by the Commission on Higher Education postponing the opening of classes in colleges from June 8 to June 15. “We would like to think [we can prevent the threat]. As early as June 3, we already issued a memorandum deferring the freshman welcome assembly that was supposed to happen tomorrow (Tuesday)," UP-Diliman’s vice chancellor Betsy Enriquez said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV. When news about the confirmed flu cases at De La Salle University broke out last week, UP officials called an emergency meeting with dormitory personnel and managers of campus hostels to discuss flu prevention measures. UP is teeming with foreign students, so Enriquez said “we got the [university personnel] familiarized with DOH (Department of Health) interim guidelines no. 6." UP has established protocols drawn from the DOH interim guidelines for schools. They have also distributed posters spelling out precautionary measures against the disease. UST secretary general Fr. Isidro Abaño said they have been preparing the school even before CHED deferred the opening of college classes. Six schools, among them UP and UST, postponed their school opening even before CHED made its announcement last Saturday as a precaution against the possible spread of the swine flu virus. UP will now open its classes on June 16. At UST, Abaño said they have already canceled the freshman orientation assembly and deferred the date of the freshmen recollection. Other scheduled public gatherings on campus will also be canceled. Posters about A(H1N1) will be put up at strategic locations inside the campus. Another school in Manila’s university belt has also fortified its defense against A(H1N1). Speaking for University of the East’s (UE) Manila and Caloocan campuses, director for administrative services Antonio de Guzman said the university even invested in thermo-scanners to keep an eye on the temperature of all people entering the school. Foreign students who recently arrived from abroad will be asked to enroll online if they have not completed their ten-day quarantine, de Guzman added. Ateneo de Manila University is using its online network to advise its students. Among the requirement listed on university’s online advisory (http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=120&type=2&sec=29&aid=6719) was for all Ateneans to reveal their travel information once they log on to the Ateneo Integrated Student Information System (AISIS). Those who arrived from abroad will also be told to observe the 10-day self-quarantine. Ateneo said that these measures “may cause inconvenience [but] it is important to observe them so that our community may be protected from this threat." Short notice Because UST gave short notice of the postponement, Abaño said the university drew criticism from a parent who complained of the “inconvenience" it has caused. He said it was intentional so that students returning from abroad will be forced to observe a 10-day self-quarantine. Had the announcement been made earlier than Friday, Abaño believes that students on holidays abroad could have re-booked their flights or extended their vacation. But “then, that would defeat the purpose of self-quarantine." Dengue, too Abaño said UST also welcomed the postponement to make time for a more thorough clean-up of the campus to ensure a dengue-free environment. Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, traditionally plagues the country during the rainy season. He said they were advised by the DOH that the disease is deadlier than the A(H1N1) virus that so far only has a one percent fatality rate around the globe. The Philippines has had a better record containing new diseases such as SARS and AIDS than traditional killers such as dengue, malaria and tuberculosis. Dengue has already killed 57 people in the Philippines in the four months between January and April this year, the DOH said. Student cooperation Abaño and De Guzman are hoping that students with flu-like symptoms will voluntarily quarantine themselves. De Guzman said they are doing “all the imaginable things we can" but even if they implement these measures, these will be useless if students will not cooperate. “Be honest enough to tell us if you have a history of travel," Abaño said. "If you have flu-like symptoms or if you are not feeling well, if you feel sick, approach the doctors immediately and avoid getting in close contact with other people. That way you will not spread the virus and that’s where charity will come in. After all, the life you are saving could be your own." - GMANews.TV