'Pinoys are not swine flu carriers in Hong Kong'

MANILA, Philippines - Although Hong Kong has recorded seven cases of the deadly swine flu from the Philippines, including one patient in critical condition, a consular official allayed fears that Filipino visitors would be viewed with suspicion upon entering the Chinese territory. Hong Kong nationals have not pointed their fingers at Filipino visitors, Vice Consul Val Roque said. The number of reported swine flu cases in the former British colony stood at 1,236 on Monday. “No one’s saying, ‘You Filipinos are carrying swine flu here’. People here understand that the swine flu is mild and everyone is vulnerable," he said. Nevertheless, the Philippine consulate advised Filipino visitors who are not feeling well to postpone their trip to Hong Kong to prevent a possible spread of the AH1N1 virus and the stigma accompanying it. After all, the Philippines has the 8th highest number of swine flu cases in the world, with 1,709 cases as of July 6 and one recorded death last month. However, the figures are worse in one of the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors, Thailand, which reported over 2,000 cases as of Monday with seven deaths. “It is important that we are not seen as the carriers," Roque added. “We have to take responsibility for our health." Philippine officials in the Chinese territory have stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of the AH1N1 virus following reports that a 37-year-old Filipina domestic helper is in critical condition after being diagnosed with the mutant flu strain. The Filipina domestic helper, who hails from Tarlac, was the second patient reported to suffer from a serious case of the swine flu. [See: Pinay maid in HK with A(H1N1) critical - report] Roque said the Filipina had suffered from pneumonia upon her arrival in Hong Kong on June 29 from Manila. Roque confirmed that the Filipina’s condition was widely reported in Hong Kong but shrugged off speculations that the news might spark discrimination against the 130,000 Filipinos working there, mostly as domestic helpers. Six other Filipinos who have been hit with mild swine flu have fully recovered, Roque said. “The three tourists returned to Manila, while the three domestic helpers are back at work with their Hong Kong employers." Although the Philippine Department of Health had stressed that all the swine flu cases in the country are still mild and the first fatality was brought about by complications from an existing disease, concerns over the potential of some 4.1-million OFWs worldwide to become A(H1N1) carriers has not ceased. The issue first surfaced when a Filipina nurse who had just returned from a vacation in the Philippines became Saudi Arabia’s first confirmed case of the novel virus. [See: Pinay nurse is first case of A(H1N1) in KSA] Several other Filipinos, mostly nurses, have also been found positive of the virus in Saudi Arabia. A Filipino man was also the first confirmed A(H1N1) case in Macau. [See: Macau’s first case of A(H1N1) is a Filipino] Moreover, Asia’s first A(H1N1)-related death was also a Filipino. But Roque maintained that everything is normal for OFWs in Hong Kong. The embassy has not discouraged them from their Sunday gatherings at popular meeting places such as Chater Road. “We just advise them to wear masks and take all the necessary precautions, just in case," he said. - Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV