MANILA, 23 July 2009, 16:00 hrs – Continued spread of the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in the Republic of Korea prompted national health authorities to raise the alert to the second highest level and shift policies to focus more sharply on mitigation of the disease. Meanwhile, Singapore reported two additional deaths linked to the virus.
Health authorities in the Republic of Korea announced on 21 July that efforts to contain the disease would give way to a new “damage-minimizing” strategy focusing on the treatment of patients with serious illness. Media reports said that more than 900 cases of the virus have been identified in the Republic of Korea, and cooler temperatures in the autumn are expected to increase the number of infections.
Singapore’s Health Ministry announced that a 13-year-old boy who had epilepsy and a 55-year-old man with motor neuron disease had both died on 22 July, with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 a contributing factor. The fatalities bring to three the number of virus-related deaths in Singapore. Lao PDR also reported a death linked to the virus, taking to 64 the number of such deaths in the Western Pacific Region.
In New Zealand, which like several countries and areas in the Western Pacific Region has adopted a mitigation strategy, a senior health official urged students to take steps to avoid catching the virus such as frequent hand-washing, and covering the mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing. Sick students should stay away from class, the official said.
“Information from New Zealand and other countries is that this pandemic influenza is more likely to infect children and young people”, said Deputy Director of Public Health Dr Fran McGrath. “So students need to be especially vigilant about reducing their chance of getting the virus and passing it onto others”.
In Hong Kong (China), the Secretary for Education Michael Seun Ming-yeung was quoted by local media as saying schools which closed early for the summer break to minimize spread of the virus would reopen as scheduled. But he did not rule out a closure of schools in the future, according to the reports. Future school closures would last for seven days, and he reportedly urged schools to take all necessary preventive measures against outbreaks.
Australia has reported nearly 16 000 confirmed cases of the virus, the most of any Member State in the Region. Deaths associated with the virus in Australia total 43, and 103 people are currently in intensive care units. Meanwhile, media reports quoted health officials in Viet Nam as predicting the number of cases in that country, currently 338, would rise further in coming weeks amid signs of community-level transmission.
Several countries in the Western Pacific Region have shifted to a mitigation phase in response to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, and are no longer testing all suspected cases
More on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009