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This blog has been established, by a group of 13 year old students from Singapore on 17 May 2009, to help educate the public on the H1N1 Influenza A virus. Please respect this blog and its creators.You may pose your questions to this address

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Monday, June 22, 2009 - 12:08 AM
H1N1 patients face discrimination in Philippines
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H1N1 patients face discrimination in Philippines
Channel NewsAsia -20 June 2009

NUEVA ECIJA, Philippines: There are now 344 confirmed cases of Influenza A(H1N1) virus in the Philippines – the highest figure in Southeast Asia. But the Health Department said there is no need to declare a public health emergency.

After a week of bed rest, 11-year-old Arnel Ferrer and 12-year-old Bernadette Paynor are looking forward to going back to school. They are among 11 children in a remote town of Nueva Ecija, who were tested positive for the H1N1 virus last Friday.

Subsequently, more than 90 people in contact with the children started to show signs of influenza. The Health Department immediately declared a community-level outbreak.

"I felt dizzy and was vomiting. My teacher gave us some medicine to get well," said Arnel.

Bernadette said: "I had terrible headaches and high fever. I just took some medicine and felt better."

Despite the fact that the children recovered quickly, residents from nearby villages persisted in avoiding them.

Marina Paynor, Bernadette's mother, said: "When we go out to other villages, they will immediately cover their mouths and tell us to go away. They say we have the plague."

The people of Jaen, Nueva Ecija hope that with the recovery of their H1N1 patients, their town will also be able to recover from the stigma and discrimination brought about by the virus.

Francisco Duque III, secretary, Department of Health, said: "A few days after we officially reported the first case on May 21, we noticed consistent mild symptoms being manifested by our patients.

"100 per cent of all those we reported manifested mild symptoms, with no reports of complications or death, so there is no reason for fear or basis for panic because as we see for ourselves this is a mild form of influenza illness."

Nevertheless, several schools throughout the country remain closed to contain the spread of the virus.