BAGUIO CITY – The city government issued a health advisory to residents and visitors who plan to join the crowd of spectators witnessing this year’s Baguio Flower Festival.
“Get vaccinated and avoid bringing babies in crowded places,” read the advisory on the prevention of communicable or infectious diseases during festivities which according to City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo is but timely considering the outbreak of measles in some parts of the country.
Galpo said it is expected that a lot of people from areas plagued with the disease will come up to the city and mix with residents so that the transmission of the disease cannot be helped.
“People must build their body resistance or immunity to fight diseases by having a healthy lifestyle,” Galpo said.
The office mounted their healthy lifestyle campaign using the acronym DEA culled from Mayor Mauricio Domogan’s own health principle of diet and proper nutrition; exercise, enough rest and sleep and attitude by turning away from vices like alcohol and smoking.
Galpo said they advise people who are sick to just stay home as the best way to prevent the spread of the virus.
“Avoid close contact with sick people, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing take antibiotics prescribed by physicians and wash hands regularly with soap and water at least for 20 second or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers especially before and after eating, after using the toilet and as necessary,” the advisory adds.
“Avoid eating unsanitary street-vended food, cook food well and always cover good to prevent contamination from insects, avoid drinking untreated water and keep surroundings clean.”
Apart from measles, other communicable diseases to watch out for are Japanese encephalitis, acute respiratory infection, A (H1N1), bird flu, capilliariasis, chicken pox, cholera, dengue fever, diarrhea, diphtheria, ebola reson, filariasis, hand, food and mouth disease, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, influenza, Kawasaki diseases, leprosy, leptospirosis, mad cow disease, malaria, meningococcemia, paragonimiasis, pertussis, poliomyelitis, rabies, severe acute respiratory syndrome, schistosomiasis, sexually transmitted infections, sore eyes, tuberculosis and typhoid fever. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
