The Department of Health’s (DOH) data showed that there were 179,540 dengue cases admitted to government hospitals across the nation from January to mid-November of last year. Over 21% of them belonged to the age group 10 to 14 years with a total of 38,560 cases.
Your child may be at risk too, even during the summer months when dengue is expected to be much less common. Don’t panic as dengue is said to be easier to treat when caught in its early stages, which is why it’s important for you as a parent to be vigilant of the initial signs and symptoms of the infectious disease.
What is dengue?
Dengue is a virus transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. It cannot be transferred from person to person. There’s no cure for the virus, but, as previously mentioned, it’s easily managed if caught immediately.
However, the problem is the symptoms of dengue can be easily confused for that of other viral infections. Symptoms include recurring fever, vomiting, rashes, joint pain, severe headache, and bleeding.
Some cases quickly become severe and can prove fatal. Close to a thousand of all reported dengue cases last year died from the viral disease.
What is dengue?
Dengue is a virus transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. It cannot be transferred from person to person. There’s no cure for the virus, but, as previously mentioned, it’s easily managed if caught immediately.
However, the problem is the symptoms of dengue can be easily confused for that of other viral infections. Symptoms include recurring fever, vomiting, rashes, joint pain, severe headache, and bleeding.
Some cases quickly become severe and can prove fatal. Close to a thousand of all reported dengue cases last year died from the viral disease.
We’re helping you and your child stay protected from the all the harm denguecan bring with these prevention and protection tips.
Be Proactive In Prevention
Prevention is always the best course of action, particularly because there are many easy and effective ways to prevent your child or anyone in the family, for that matter, from getting infected with dengue.
Studies have shown that mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. Ensure this does not happen by cleaning the water in flower pots, vases, pales - cover them too, if possible. It’s advisable to ask your child to stay away from areas that may be probable breeding grounds such as fountains or unused swimming pools.
You can, meanwhile, ward them off your homes by reinforcing your windows with screens and nets and setting mosquito traps, as well as growing plants that mosquitoes avoid like citronella and basil.
It’s also important for you to keep them away from yourself and your loved ones by applying mosquito repellent. Your child might need this when he or she plays outside during the summer and even in the months after.
Most important of all, keep your child’s immune system strong by feeding him vitamin-rich food so that his body is capable of fighting viruses and other infections.
Monitor Signs
In the worst-case scenario where your child has a fever, you must constantly monitor his temperature as fluctuations from high to low often indicate infection. You also have to watch out for the aforementioned symptoms. It can take up to a week after the mosquito bite for some of them to show but, it’s crucial not to overlook any one.
See A Doctor If You Need To
Dengue fevers often subside only to come back even worse. If this is the case or your child is no longer responding to medication then you should immediately take him or her straight to a doctor who can properly assess and diagnose his condition.
Some might wait until the very last minute before deciding to do this because of how much medical help can cost. With dengue, however, it’s best to always be a step ahead. Plus, you can lessen your financial burden with health insurance that covers emergency assistance and hospitalization costs, among many other medical benefits.
Prepaid plans such as ER Vantage, Health Vantage, and My Maxicare Lite offer financial coverage for acute cases of dengue including emergency room and confinement fees. They are available in Maria Health’s website along with other prepaid plans from top health maintenance organizations (HMO) in the country.
Visit http://bit.ly/june2019blogdengue for more details on these plans or shop for others.
Here are our Partners' Prepaid Cards specifically covering Dengue.
PhilCare Health Vantage Adults 80k E-voucher
₱9,950 one-time payment
Multiple-use for emergency & hospitalization coverage up to Php 80,000 for 18-60 years old
My Maxicare Lite Yellow
₱2,499 one-time payment
One-time hospitalization for common viral diseases up to ₱ 25,000 with access to top hospitals in Manila
ER Vantage Plus Kids 80k
