Psoriasis patients decry report on ‘flesh-eating’ illness

MANILA, Philippines — A group of psoriasis patients decried latest news reports maligning the disease as communicable.

Psoriasis Philippines founding chairman Josef De Guzman on Wednesday said the case of a patient in Pangasinan who has been diagnosed with psoriasis has been sensationalized by a news report.

De Guzman was reacting to the report of ABS-CBN news program “Bandila” on Monday night saying that a “mysterious flesh-eating illness” is slowly spreading in Pangasinan.

“I am making an open plea to them for a more responsible reporting because they are not helping other people. They are isolating us instead,” De Guzman told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.

He said that psoriasis is “not communicable” and added that the news report was “maligning.”

“A lot of our members are now afraid to go out of their houses because of discrimination. There was no outbreak.  The report just wants to sensationalize the situation,” he said.

He appealed to the media to be responsible in reporting.

“Media has been our greatest ally and we hope them to be responsible in news reporting,” he said.

He mentioned that Psoriasis Society has a “Hug Me” campaign which is now on its seventh year to show people that the disease is not communicable.

“We invited celebrities to hug patients with psoriasis,” he said, adding that a hug is the most physical demonstration that psoriasis is not contagious.

According to him, their society is also putting up a yearly conference to train doctors to study possible treatment for psoriasis and to raise national awareness.

The Department of Health (DOH), meanwhile, on Wednesday reminded the media that the dangers of inaccurate reporting could create panic.

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