BAGUIO CITY – The City Health Services Office (CHSO) reported that severe acute respiratory illnesses (SARI) in the city decreased by 19 percent last year compared to the cases that were reported during the previous year.
Kimberly Sibayan, medical surveillance officer of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, said that there were 1,071severe acute respiratory illnesses in the city last year compared to the 1,3223 cases that were documented by the said office during the previous year.
However, there were no SARI-related deaths that were recorded by the CHSO during the two reckoning periods.
She claimed that the age range of those who were afflicted with severe acute respiratory illnesses was 0-96.
Further, 51 percent of the afflicted individuals were males while 49 percent were said to be females.
The top ten city barangays that recorded SARI last year are Irisan, Bakakeng Central, Camp 7, Loakan, Bakakeng Norte, Asin Road, Pinget, Sto. Tomas Proper and Kias.
SARI is a contagious and sometimes fatal respiratory illness. It can spread in a highly mobile and inter-connected world.
The symptoms of SARI sometimes start with fever, chills, muscle itches, headache and occasional diarrhea. After about a week, signs and symptoms high fever, dry cough, shortness of breath among others.
Health authorities earlier said that SARI is a serious illness that can lead to death, thus, people with signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection or flu-like signs and symptoms with fever after travelling, people must immediate visit their doctor.
The infection is caused by a strain of virus which is the same family of viruses that causes the common cold. Previously, the said viruses had never been dangerous to humans. By Dexter A. See
