MANILA, 27 July 2009, 1600 hrs– The number of fatalities in the Western Pacific Region related to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 climbed to 74 after Singapore reported its fourth virus-linked death. Meanwhile, as schools reopened in Australia following holidays, health authorities in that country urged parents and teachers to take decisive steps to minimize infection.
The fourth person to die in Singapore with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 as a contributing factor was a 42-year-old Chinese woman with thyroid disease who died from pneumonia on 24 July. Data derived from recent tests of virus samples taken from patients at clinics and hospitals in Singapore showed that slightly more than half of patients with influenza-like illness have Pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
Australia’s Ministry for Health and Ageing said parents should keep unwell children away from school until they are well, and schools should actively reinforce good hygiene practices while helping parents and students understand how to prevent infection.
The number of people in Australia aged five-years to 16-years presenting at hospital with flu-like illness has dropped over the school holidays but is expected to rise again in that age-group with the resumption of classes. Australia has reported nearly 17 000 cases of the virus, and 47 related deaths.
The Ministry urged schools and parents ensure students knew to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, washed their hands frequently, and avoided touching their eyes, nose and mouth. It was also important, the Ministry advised, that people ill with influenza did not visit sick, elderly or pregnant women and young children, nor visit hospitals unless requiring treatment for their own illness.
In New Zealand, where Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 has been a factor in 11 fatalities, a senior health official delivered assurances that health services were continuing to provide quality healthcare despite increasing pressure from the rising number of virus cases.
“We expect our health services will remain under pressure for some time yet as the pandemic virus continues to spread in our communities,” said the Ministry of Health’s Principal Medical Advisor Dr David Galler. “But the system is coping well and we are working with the sector to ensure issues about capacity and capability are managed appropriately.”
Dr Galler said some intensive care units were already working at full capacity and treatment for some people who were severely ill after catching the virus had been prioritized over less urgent surgery. New Zealand has reported more than 2500 cases of the virus. All fatalities linked to the virus have had underlying health conditions, the Ministry of Health said.
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 nor reporting new confirmed cases daily. As a result, the actual number of infections in the Region is likely to be significantly higher than official WHO figures.
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