By Jennifer P. Rendon, Emme Rose Santiagudo, and Dolly Yasa
What’s more contagious than the dreaded coronavirus?
Disinformation or the so-called fake news spread by word of mouth and in the online world.
As health authorities try to prevent the entry of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the country, they also appealed to the public to stop spreading unverified information.
As the 2019-nCoV contagion has spawned many false claims, “we couldn’t do anything about it. We just want to tell the public to just listen to us,” Dr. Jessie Glen Alonsabe, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of Western Visayas’ health office, said.
Further, “if it doesn’t come from the Department of Health (DOH), the public should be discriminating enough to know the truth from fake news,” he said.
Alonsabe said that they cannot do anything to people posting online reports, verified or otherwise.
He again stressed, though, that there’s no confirmed nCoV case in Western Visayas.
“We assure the public that we won’t hide it if there is,” Alonsabe said.
After all, the most affected sector would be the health department.
“Kun nahadlok kamo ma-apektuhan ang pamilya nyo, mas kami kay kami ang naga-atubang sa pasyente,” Alonsabe said.
The spread of false or baseless pieces of information has been called “infodemic.”
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday said the public should not be a “party to such propagation because otherwise, this problem, this misinformation can be more viral than the virus that we all are guarding against.”
Meedan, a non-profit social technology company that builds digital tools for global journalism and translation, has another name for infodemic – “misinfodemic” – and considers it a growing public health issue.
In its primer on “Health Equity through Health Fact-checking,” Meedan said: “The virality and reach in today’s digital information ecosystem widens and amplifies fears and misunderstandings around health topics like vaccinations, diagnostic processes, treatments, and interventions, requiring public-health practitioners to simultaneously battle the spread of misinformation alongside the spread of disease.”
UNVERIFIED REPORTS
Dread filled the air, especially the toxic online scene, on Wednesday after unverified reports on a suspected 2019-nCov case in Iloilo City spread via social media.
First, there was a 3-year-old Chinese kid from Hong Kong who is currently undergoing consultation in a referral hospital in Iloilo City as part of health protocols for the 2019-nCov outbreak.
It was first reported that the child stayed in a hotel and later brought to a private hospital.
Dr. Jane Juanico of the DOH Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD)-6 confirmed the reports saying the child sought consultation after manifesting fever-like symptoms.
“We are closely coordinating with our referral hospital as to the status of the patient,” Dr. Jane Juanico head of the Infectious Disease Department of DOH 6 said on Wednesday.
According to Juanico, the child, who traveled to Iloilo together with his/her parents, sought consultation after manifesting fever-like symptoms
“It was the instinct of the parents to seek consultation because the child exhibited symptoms of fever. Our general advisory to the travelers is to seek consultation once they experience any signs and symptoms,” she said.
Other details concerning the child remain unknown as the investigation is currently ongoing, the health department added.
Juanico said they are currently assessing whether the child will be classified as a person-under-investigation (PUI).
“If later on the child will be identified as PUI, he/she will be admitted to our referral hospital for further investigation,” she said.
Relative to that, QualiMed Hospital-Iloilo said on Wednesday that there was no confirmed case of 2019-nCoV infection in any of the QualiMed Health Network facilities.
“Rest assured that all infectious cases we receive in our facilities are being dealt with utmost care and precaution based on DOH-mandated standards and protocols on treatment and reporting of infectious diseases.”
It added that QualiMed Health Network upholds the privacy rights of our patients and the confidentiality of their health records.
“We strictly comply with Data Privacy Act policies thus we shall be firm in our stand against disclosing any information regarding our clients.”
‘SCHOOL SHUTDOWN’
On the same day, there were also reports that a school in Iloilo City canceled classes on Jan. 30 and 31 because of 2019-nCov infection.
Dr. Juanico said they also received reports that 25 students from Hua Siong College of Iloilo were advised to undergo self-quarantine measures.
Dr. Roland Fortuna, the focal person for 2019-nCov of the Iloilo City Health Office (CHO), said on Wednesday that 25 students traveled to China for the Chinese New Year.
But a Hua Siong College of Iloilo insider denied reports of 25 students who went to China and underwent self-quarantine when they came back home.
It was confirmed, though, that there were around 10 students who went to China to celebrate Chinese New Year. But they were advised not to come back to Iloilo in the meantime.
In a statement on Tuesday, Hua Siong said it is corona-free and has been vigilantly monitoring its teachers and learners.
As a response, the school would implement the following measures:
- All school personnel, personnel and even parents who traveled to countries and areas with confirmed cases of Novel Corona Virus who show symptoms of fever, sore throat, cough, and runny nose should voluntarily quarantine themselves for fifteen days before going back to school. He/she should present a medical clearance from a physician and shall be subjected to further check-up by our school medical personnel prior to his/her return.
- Anyone who has traveled, but shows the aforementioned symptoms should also refrain from coming to school until medically cleared by a doctor.
- Starting Monday (February 3, 2020), anyone who will be found to have a temperature of 37.5 and above through our infrared thermometer will be asked to go home and seek medical for medical advice.
But the statement labeled the “cancelation of classes” as rest days since the school hosted this year’s Chinese New Year celebration.
It stated that the rest days will be for their learners and teachers who have been involved in many strenuous activities.
Dr. Jose Barcelona, the school’s assistant principal, signed the statement.
‘MALICIOUS TEXT’
In Bacolod City, the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas and the Riverside Medical Center both denied receiving a patient infected with the 2019-nCov.
The clarification was issued after text messages and social media posts claimed that a foreigner was rushed to a hospital after showing symptoms of 2019-nCov.
DOH-Region 6 Project Development Officer Ben Dela Cruz said the foreigner, who was rushed to the Riverside Medical Center, suffered from vertigo.
Dela Cruz said the foreigner came from another province. But after reaching a resort in the province, the patient started experiencing dizziness, nausea, and developed fever.
The patient returned to a hotel in the city and was later rushed to the Riverside Medical Center to receive medical attention for vertigo.
The Riverside Medical Center also released a public advisory, stating the public should be wary of “fake news” regarding the presence of 2019-nCov in their medical facility.
It added that it does not have any patient exhibiting symptoms of the infection.
But the hospital assured that they are prepared and equipped to handle situations involving 2019-nCoV, given the guidelines and protocols to coordinate with the appropriate referral hospital.
City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) cluster head Joemarie Vargas urged the public to stop spreading unconfirmed information about 2019-nCoV as it would only cause panic.
