A united community against influenza-like illness

MEDICINE CABINET

- TEODORO B. PADILLA

Last week, many public and private schools across the country suspended face-to-face classes and shifted to alternative learning modalities amid a rise in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases among both adults and children.

ILI refers to a respiratory infection caused by various bacteria and viruses. A person is suspected of having ILI when they develop a fever of 37.8°C or higher and a cough that began within the past 10 days.

"ILI cases occur throughout the year in the Philippines, typically peaking from June to January, coinciding with the rainy season," said infectious disease specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante during a special edition of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) Health Forum titled "Fighting Flu Together: Protecting Us All."

Citing Department of Health (DoH) data, Dr. Solante reported 121,716 ILI cases from Jan. 1 to Sept. 27. Most cases (27%) involved children aged 5 to 14 years. Almost half (45%) were caused by the influenza A virus, followed by rhinovirus (14%) and enterovirus (12%). COVID-19 accounted for only 1% of ILI cases.

He noted that 9,649 cases were reported from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13, 17% higher than the 8,261 cases reported two weeks earlier. "This increase follows the usual seasonal trend and remains within expected levels," he explained.