Updated 6:48pm, 6 Aug 2009
PUTRAJAYA, 6 Aug 2009: Another death related to Influenza A(H1N1), that of a 57-year-old male pensioner at the Putrajaya Hospital yesterday, has raised the number of deaths due to the pandemic to 14 as of this morning.
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the victim had diabetes and hypertension, and 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.
Ismail stressed that people of high risk like pregnant women, and those with lung disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, low immunity, heart disease and breathing difficulty, should seek immediate treatment at the nearest clinic or hospital as treatment for Influenza A(H1N1) was very effective if introduced within 48 hours of symptom onset.
He said those who have normal influenzal symptoms and are not in the high-risk groups are advised not to panic and rush to get themselves tested, because 98% of H1N1 cases 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 antibody, so it is not necessary for all cases with light symptoms to undergo H1N1 testing,” he said.
Ismail said H1N1 testing would only be done for those of high risk and cases admitted to wards, as the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), which is responsible for testing, was swamped with 500 tests a day, 80-90% of which have been negative.
As of this morning, there were 16 new H1N1 cases, all locally transmitted and involving Malaysians. Nine were treated in wards, while the rest were given outpatient treatment, he said.
“The total number of H1N1 cases in the country as of this morning is 1,492, with 574 or 38% imported and 62% locally transmitted cases.
“Of this total 1,421 patients have recovered. The number of patients in ICUs is 11, and 43 patients are receiving antiviral treatment in isolation wards,” he said.
On the global situation, he said there were 199,146 cases, with 1,446 deaths reported in 171 countries — a rise of 5,460 with 85 deaths compared with yesterday. — Bernama
