The rainy season came in booming with hard intermittent showers and a walang pasok-level typhoon. Bracing winds, forgotten umbrellas, and knee-high flooding aside though, we often forget the silent and invisible danger that comes creeping in. Announced by the DOH two weeks ago, a dengue epidemic has come up from right under our noses as water inevitably collected in the canopies, balconies, puddles, and tiny bodies of water we often take for granted while we brave the more visible dangers of the day.

That said, let’s go over a few ways to avoid the disease spread by tiny winged terrors:

1.       Stay away from places that collect stagnant water.

Mosquitos breed and grow their young on stagnant water, and this could be anything from the inside of an unused rubber tire to a tiny puddle off to the side of the street. They’re also feistier at dawn and dusk, so keep that in mind.

2.       Cover up and put some mosquito repellent on.

Now is not the time to be ironic with shorts and sleeveless shirts during the cold season. Covering your skin with some fabric armor will make it harder for the little critters to attack and stick their blood-nozzles in. Additionally, applying mosquito repellent is also a great way to stay away from dengue. You could even go the extra mile and treat the clothes you wear with repellent. A new trend these days are those patches you stick to your clothes that help ward off mosquitos the entire day. Patches are a great alternative if you don’t like the feel of mosquito repellent lotion on your skin.

3.       Nets and Mosquito Repellents for Homes.

At the home front, you’ll want to keep unwanted intruders away by making sure your doors and windows are closed, with the openings for air and light covered by glass or fine screen mesh. You’ll also want to check the screens for any gaps, breaks or frays, since anything too large will just defeat the purpose. Inside, you can deck out your crib with the typical stuff like katol or some citronella candles where you’ll be hanging out. Away from where you are, you might also want to try some blue-light bug zappers to encourage them to move away from you in an even more permanent fashion.

We’ve outlined a good number of ways to avoid getting bit by the white-striped dengue carriers. But avoiding them can only go so far, especially when our daily routines and commute force us into the mosquito’s home court. In this case, it’s best to be wary of symptoms of dengue. You may start to experience a high fever, bone/muscle/joint pains, severe eye pains, rashes, or even some nose or gum bleeding. In more severe cases, you could experience red spotting on the skin, blood vomiting, black stools, clammy skin, or extreme abdominal pains. In those cases, you’ll want to visit your doctor and get checked right away. Dengue is no joke, especially the more serious Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, which is known to be fatal.

With such a dangerous disease in a tropical country during the rainy season, make sure to take note of where the closest clinics and hospitals are. Luckily, there are a lot of different healthcare providers you can choose from. Selecting one that is both affordable and accessible is a must.

Try ALLCARE! In partnership with Etiqa (formerly Asian Life and General Assurance), ALLCARE provides its members access to over 1400 accredited hospitals and clinics nationwide, at a very affordable price!

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