Filipino expatriates in the United Arab Emirates who are returning home with their kids have voiced alarm over the growing number of whooping cough infections in the country, particularly in light of the recent infant deaths.
Pertussis, sometimes known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that primarily affects young children and can be fatal for those under two. Like Covid-19, coughing and sneezing can readily transmit it through airborne droplets.
Philippine officials have reported 1,112 cases of the illness between January 1 and March 30, including 54 fatalities. The Department of Health reports that every deceased person was younger than five years old.
KC Español, a resident of Dubai, has been attentively monitoring the epidemic updates as she prepares to take her 11-month-old child home for the first time.
“As of right now, no cases have been reported in our hometown in the province of Pangasinan. However, we will take additional safety measures because we will be in Manila for a few days.”
A whooping cough outbreak has been reported in two cities and one province in the Philippines. As of March 21, Iloilo City in the province of Iloilo reported seven cases, while Quezon City in Manila had 25 cases and five fatalities. A Rappler article states that 36 cases and six deaths were reported in the province of Cavite.
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