PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 – Another death related to Influenza A (H1N1), that of a 57-year old male pensioner at the Putrajaya Hospital yeterday, has raised the number of deaths caused by the pandemic to 14 since this morning.
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the victim who had diabetes and hypertension was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) with symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.
“He was confirmed having the virus yesterday. He died yesterday of acute pulmonary oedema secondary to H1N1,” he told reporters here today.
Dr Mohd Ismail again stressed that people facing high risks, like pregnant women, those with lung disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, low immunity, heart disease and breathing difficulty, must seek immediate treatment at the nearest clinic or hospital.
The treatment for Influenza A (H1N1) is very effective if treatment is started within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, he stressed.
He said for those who have normal influenza symptoms and are not in the high risk groups, they are advised to not panic and rush to get themselves tested.
He said this was because many H1N1 cases in Malaysia, and throughout the rest of the world, would show light symptoms and 98 per cent would recover even without specific medicine.
“Patients with light symptoms are asked to rest and, God Willing, will recover in three or four days. After recovering they will have the anti-body, so it is not necessary for all cases with light symptoms to undergo H1N1 testing,” he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail said H1N1 testing would only be done for cases admitted to ward and those with high risk.
He said this was because the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), which is responsible for H1N1 testing, is being swamped with 500 tests a day and that 80-90 per cent were negative.
“So this burdens the IMR and is wasteful as the test cost is high,” he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail said for the people’s convenience beginning tomorrow all government hospitals and clinics that have a medical officer will be supplied with the antiviral drug tamiflu while private hospitals and clinics can buy it from local suppliers.
He reminded medical practioners not to give the medicine lightly and they should follow the guidelines set while pharmacists were not allowed to sell the drug without a prescription.
“The use of tamiflu for prophylaxsis (prevention and protection from disease) treatment will not be effective and it is a waste, whereas there might be side effects, besides building immunity to tamiflu as happened in the United States, Hong Kong, Mexico, Japan, Denmark and Canada, and can be dangerous if a person really has H1N1 and the medicine will not be effective,” he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail also said the health personnel whether in public or private service needed to take preventive steps and give serious attention to prevent getting the disease.
Up till this morning, Dr Mohd Ismail said, there were 16 new H1N1 cases and they were all locally transmitted cases involving Malaysians where five cases were from two new clusters and 11 were sporadic or isolated cases.
He said of the 16 new cases nine were treated in the ward while the rest were given out-patient treatment.
“The total number of H1N1 cases in the country till this morning is 1,492 cases with 574 or 38 per cent being imported cases and the balance 62 per cent were locally transmitted cases.
“Of this total 1,421 patients had recovered while the number of patients in the ICU was 11 and 43 pateints were receiving antiviral treatment in the isolation ward,” he said.
Asked about the H1N1 death registered in the Sepang Immigration detention depot, Dr Mohd Ismail said he was waiting for a report and a team would be sent to investigate the matter.
On the global situation, he said there were 199,146 cases with 1,446 deaths reported in 171 countries, that is a rise of 5,460 with 85 deaths compared to yesterday.– Bernama
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the victim who had diabetes and hypertension was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) with symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.
“He was confirmed having the virus yesterday. He died yesterday of acute pulmonary oedema secondary to H1N1,” he told reporters here today.
Dr Mohd Ismail again stressed that people facing high risks, like pregnant women, those with lung disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, low immunity, heart disease and breathing difficulty, must seek immediate treatment at the nearest clinic or hospital.
The treatment for Influenza A (H1N1) is very effective if treatment is started within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, he stressed.
He said for those who have normal influenza symptoms and are not in the high risk groups, they are advised to not panic and rush to get themselves tested.
He said this was because many H1N1 cases in Malaysia, and throughout the rest of the world, would show light symptoms and 98 per cent would recover even without specific medicine.
“Patients with light symptoms are asked to rest and, God Willing, will recover in three or four days. After recovering they will have the anti-body, so it is not necessary for all cases with light symptoms to undergo H1N1 testing,” he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail said H1N1 testing would only be done for cases admitted to ward and those with high risk.
He said this was because the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), which is responsible for H1N1 testing, is being swamped with 500 tests a day and that 80-90 per cent were negative.
“So this burdens the IMR and is wasteful as the test cost is high,” he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail said for the people’s convenience beginning tomorrow all government hospitals and clinics that have a medical officer will be supplied with the antiviral drug tamiflu while private hospitals and clinics can buy it from local suppliers.
He reminded medical practioners not to give the medicine lightly and they should follow the guidelines set while pharmacists were not allowed to sell the drug without a prescription.
“The use of tamiflu for prophylaxsis (prevention and protection from disease) treatment will not be effective and it is a waste, whereas there might be side effects, besides building immunity to tamiflu as happened in the United States, Hong Kong, Mexico, Japan, Denmark and Canada, and can be dangerous if a person really has H1N1 and the medicine will not be effective,” he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail also said the health personnel whether in public or private service needed to take preventive steps and give serious attention to prevent getting the disease.
Up till this morning, Dr Mohd Ismail said, there were 16 new H1N1 cases and they were all locally transmitted cases involving Malaysians where five cases were from two new clusters and 11 were sporadic or isolated cases.
He said of the 16 new cases nine were treated in the ward while the rest were given out-patient treatment.
“The total number of H1N1 cases in the country till this morning is 1,492 cases with 574 or 38 per cent being imported cases and the balance 62 per cent were locally transmitted cases.
“Of this total 1,421 patients had recovered while the number of patients in the ICU was 11 and 43 pateints were receiving antiviral treatment in the isolation ward,” he said.
Asked about the H1N1 death registered in the Sepang Immigration detention depot, Dr Mohd Ismail said he was waiting for a report and a team would be sent to investigate the matter.
On the global situation, he said there were 199,146 cases with 1,446 deaths reported in 171 countries, that is a rise of 5,460 with 85 deaths compared to yesterday.– Bernama
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