Late consultation, a challenge in dengue treatment — QC doctor

Following the declaration of dengue outbreak in Quezon City, an epidemiologist on Monday said that late consultations from cases remain to be a challenge for healthcare professionals in the city. 

Dr. Rolando Cruz, chief epidemiologist of QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, explained that while majority of dengue cases need not be confined in hospitals, there are still cases who take more than five days from when symptoms start to appear before they seek medical attention. 

“Ang nagiging problema lang natin ay ‘yung hindi naa-assess agad ng mga doktor. ‘Yun ‘yung kwento ng mga sampu nating case fatalities o mga namatay. It took them…7 days, more than 5 days, bago magpa-konsulta at matignan ng doktor,” Cruz said in an Unang Balita interview. 

(Our problem is that doctors don’t get to assess the cases immediately. That's the story of our ten case fatalities or those who died. It took them...7 days or more than 5 days before consulting and seeing a doctor.) 

Local officials in Quezon City declared the dengue outbreak on Saturday amid a steep rise in cases and at least 10 deaths due to the virus this year. Eight of the fatalities were minors. 

From January 1 to February 14, 2025, the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Division recorded a total of 1,769 cases — nearly 200% higher than last year.

With this, Cruz urged parents to bring their children to the nearest health center if they have fever even if it’s just one or two days. 

“Ang advice parati, ‘wag nang maghanap ng iba pang sintomas. Basta nilalagnat ang bata… Ang hirap kasi i-distinguish talaga sa ibang sakit. Pareho lang ng mga presentation—lagnat, parang trangkaso, sasakit ang katawan, sasakit ang ulo,” the doctor said. 

(We advise parents not to look for other symptoms. As long as the child has a fever, bring him/her to the doctor. It's hard to distinguish dengue from other diseases as they have the same presentations—fever, flu-like symptoms, body aches, headaches.) 

Even infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante has reminded the public not to hesitate to go to the hospital if they are experiencing dengue symptoms.

Solante said hospitals can do complete blood count (CBC) and monitor a patient's hematocrit level and platelet count.

Dengue virus is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes and is common in countries with tropical climates like the Philippines.

Symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pains, nausea, and rashes. Some may also experience pain behind the eyes, vomiting, and swollen glands. 

These symptoms start four to 10 days after exposure from a mosquito bite. The Department of Health (DOH) said that most of those infected will get better in 1 to 2 weeks.

The DOH has also been reminding the public to practice the 4S strategy against dengue: Search and destroy breeding places; Secure self-protection; Seek early consultation; and Support fogging or spraying in hotspot areas, especially during the rainy season.—AOL, GMA Integrated News