Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday, August 8, called on city residents to get tested for dengue if they are experiencing any symptoms of the disease.
“We are seeing a rise in cases in our city, not just of Covid but also of dengue so we are encouraging our residents to get tested so they can seek consultation and start treatment early,” Belmonte said.
"Prevention is better than cure. We cannot address this alone and we highly encourage our residents to take part in helping the community, in their own way, to prevent the rising cases of dengue. Let us help our community so you can also protect your own family," she added.
According to the local government, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) has documented a total of 1,280 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to July 28, 2022. There are also seven deaths listed.
City Health Department (CHD) Officer-in-Charge Dr. Esperanza Arias said those who experience a sudden onset of fever from two to five days should visit the nearest health center to seek consultation.
She added that some symptoms of Covid-19 are similar to dengue which is why getting tested for both diseases is necessary.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the period of the drop in bodily temperature between three to six days of infection marks the transition of the disease from mild to more serious categories (doh.gov.ph).
It added that symptoms of dengue include sudden onset fever of two to seven days, plus two of the following: headache, body weakness, joint and muscle pains, pain behind the eyes, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes.
It also said that it is important to seek early consultation between 1-3 days of fever to immediately recognize the disease, which may require the patient to increase fluid intake.
The city government is also implementing “search and destroy” operations including the identification of breeding places and clean-up drives, and covering water receptacles (buckets, pails, plants with axles) which can also be breeding places for mosquitoes.
Residents are also being oriented on the 4S strategy - search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites; secure self protection measures (wearing of long sleeved shirts, long pants); seek early consultation; and support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.
The city has also listed 1,846 active Covid-19 cases out of 271,930 total cases as of Aug. 6, with 268,336 recoveries and 1,748 deaths.