‘Seek medical help after having 2-day high fever’

By LITO RULONA,
Correspondent

The City Council’s Committee on Health Services and Sanitation has issued a health advisory to the Kagayanons to immediately submit themselves to a medical check-up for proper evaluation and treatment after experiencing high fever for two consecutive days.

City councilor Malou Gaane, who is also a doctor by profession, told reporters that anybody who experience high fever for two straight days should immediately seek medical attention in the nearest health centers and hospitals.

“Our City Health Office are doing our job right now. We immediately give prophylaxis antibiotics. No need to panic as of the moment. Those who had close contact with the victim is being taking cared off,” she said.

However, she said those who experience symptoms like of Meningococcemia must be treated immediately. Those who has high-fever must be admitted to the hospital and possibly kept in an isolated room to stop the bacteria from spreading.

In Barangay Bayabas, the City Health Office has already conducted “contact tracing” on the victim’s family down to the victim’s classmates where she had already experienced high fever.

CHO also subjected barangay officials and tanods who assist the family in disposing the victim’s body at the City Cemetery in Sitio Bolonsori, Barangay Camaman-an.

“Awareness na gyud sa katawhan ang gikinahang-lan ani nga two-days straight high fever i-adto na gyud sa health centers or nearby hospital,” Gaane said.

She admitted that they can no longer rule-out fever related disease like Dengue, Zika virus and Meningococcemia until such time that a laboratory test could be conducted on patients who have high fever.

“We are still conducting contact tracing kay dili kita mokumpyansa ani nga sakit. Dili pud tanan sa Barangay Bayabas ang hatagan sa tambal. This is bacterial and makuha lamang kini through direct contact through saliva,” she said.

Gaane said other treatments depend on the symptoms the patient has developed. If the patient is having difficulty breathing

“Meningococcemia can lead to bleeding disorders. If this occurs, your doctor may give you platelet replacement therapy. You’re also at an increased risk if you live with or have been in very close contact with someone who has the disease,” she explained.

She said it all goes down to practicing healthy hygiene to decrease the risk of infection. This includes washing of hands thoroughly and covering the mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing.

Earlier, three patients who were confirmed to have contracted meningococcemia died last week inside Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) while another child died of the same bacterial infection in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.