CALAMBA CITY, Laguna, Feb 5 (PIA) - The Department of Health (DOH) Region 4A assured the public that it is ready to respond to the threat of the novel coronavirus-acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV-ARD) in the event that an nCoV case will be identified in the region.

In a statement, DOH Region 4A Regional Director Eduardo Janairo said all public health facilities and some private hospitals in the region with isolation rooms are now prepared and ready to accept patients who will be suspected or confirmed with nCoV infection.

He added that the regional health office has already laid out a unified plan for the preparedness, response, and prevention against the novel coronavirus.

The needed logistics for various provincial DOH offices, local health offices, and selected hospitals in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas are also now in place, according to the regional health top official.

The unified preparedness and response plan formulated by the DOH 4A officials and local health officers on Tuesday, February 4 includes a risk communication plan with identified protocols on case detection and referral system of patient under investigation and suspected cases.

As of February 5, DOH has recorded 13 patients in the Calabarzon region under investigation for the 2019-nCoV.

Shared-responsibility

As the DOH Region 4A maximizes its efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, Janairo called on the public to take necessary precautionary measures against the virus.

He stressed that the efforts to prevent the spread and contracting the virus are shared-responsibility of the DOH and the public.

"This is everybody's concern kaya kailangan na nating magtulong-tulong. We have to maximize our efforts and utilize everything that we need to prevent the spread of the virus," Janairo said.

"Napakaimportante na nagkakaintindihan tayo at alam natin ang ating gagawin. This is not the concern of the regional office and the DOH alone, it is the responsibility of all Filipinos upang hindi tayo maunahan sa pagkalat ng 2019-novel corona virus," the regional health chief added.

Janairo emphasized the need to protect the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) region being the most populous region in the country and home for more than 15 million people.

"We must safeguard the entry and exit of the virus, including colleges/universities dahil meron tayong mga foreign students coming from identified countries with positive NCOV," Janairo stated.

"Kasama rin dito ang mga factories dahil ang CALABARZON ang industrial gateway kung saan marami ang mga investment lalo na sa probinsya ng Laguna at Cavite and unfortunately marami sa mga companies are owned by foreigners," he added.

Janairo said the DOH Region 4A is also closely monitoring tourist spots in the region such as Tagaytay City where virus could thrive longer due to its cold weather condition.

He explained that one of the most important and effective interventions in public health response to 2019-nCoV is "to proactively communicate what is known, what is unknown and what is being done to get more information with the objective of saving lives and minimizing adverse consequences."

"Remember, lahat ng sinisipon ay may corona virus. Dahil ang virus na ito ang cause ng sipon natin. It's not necessarily na galing ito sa paniki gaya ng nakita nila sa China."

Janairo enumerated other ways to prevent and reduce the spread of infections such as getting the appropriate vaccine, staying at home when sick, not sharing eating utensils.

He also reminded the public to cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing, observe personal hygiene, sanitation, and healthy lifestyle, and avoid crowded places.

"Ang pinakamabuting gawin ay ugaliing maghugas ng kamay bago at pagkatapos kumain gamit ang sabon at malinis na tubig. Make good hygiene practices a habit to prevent the spread of any disease," he reminded.

According to DOH Region 4A, patients who acquire CoV were shown to exhibit respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and kidney failure. (PIA4A)