Flu ( incl Swine, Bird etc ) 01 (Apr 09 - Sep 12)

[millionairemind]

Aug 12, 2009
H1N1 FLU PANDEMIC
S'pore has 10th H1N1 death

A 43-YEAR-OLD Chinese woman died on Wednesday at Changi General Hospital from an H1N1-related infection, said the Health Ministry in a statement.

She was sent to the emergency department on Tuesday by ambulance after she was found unconscious at home.

The patient had a history of fever, cough and flu-like symptoms for more than a week.

She was admitted to the ICU, where she tested positive for Influenza A (H1N1-2009).

Her condition deteriorated and she passed away on Wednesday morning.

She had been diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in 2004 and had since completed treatment.

The cause of her death has been certified as bronchopneumonia contributed by Influenza A (H1N1-2009) infection.

[iam802]

I'm not too sure if you guys noticed.

Reports of H1N1 admissions (of those infected) seems to be appearing less on the papers now.

But, reports of death due to H1N1 is increasing.

I suspect that the number of infected cases is still increasing.

[millionairemind]

Published August 22, 2009

WHO forecasts 'explosion' of H1N1 cases
It urges govts to boost preparations for a swift response, while warning of more deaths

(Beijing)

THE global spread of swine flu will endanger more lives as it speeds up in coming months and governments must boost preparations for a swift response to a coming 'explosion' of cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday.

Many countries could see swine flu cases double every three to four days for several months until peak transmission is reached, once cold weather returns to the northern hemisphere, said WHO's Western Pacific director, Shin Young-soo.

'At a certain point, there will seem to be an explosion in case numbers,' Mr Shin told a symposium of health officials and experts in Beijing. 'It is certain there will be more cases and more deaths.'

WHO has declared the swine flu strain a pandemic, and it has killed almost 1,800 people worldwide through last week.

International attention has focused on how the pandemic is progressing in southern hemisphere countries such as Australia, which are experiencing winter and their flu season.

But it is in developing countries where the accelerated spread of swine flu poses the greatest threat as it places under-equipped and under-funded health systems under severe strain, Mr Shin said.

WHO earlier estimated that as many as two billion people could become infected over the next two years - nearly one-third of the world's population.

Others said Mr Shin's cautionary comments were needed, but were optimistic the spread would not be that serious.

Ann Moen, an influenza expert with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that if current trends continued, it is possible that swine flu, also known as H1N1, will not be worse than a severe flu season.

'I think the world was preparing for an H5N1 (bird flu) pandemic and we didn't get that. So maybe this is our supreme tabletop exercise, a global sort of practice for something bigger,' Dr Moen told The Associated Press.

Health officials and drug makers are looking into ways to speed up production of a vaccine before the northern hemisphere enters its flu season in coming months. Estimates for when a vaccine will be available range from September to December.

In a new advice to doctors, WHO said healthy people who catch swine flu do not need antivirals such as Tamiflu, but the young, the old and the pregnant surely do.

The UN health agency said people who are otherwise healthy with mild to moderate cases of swine flu or regular flu don't need the popular drug, calling the medical evidence for giving it to those people 'low quality'.

But people thought to be at risk for complications from swine flu - children less than five years old, pregnant women, people over age 65 and those with other health problems such as heart disease, HIV or diabetes - should definitely get the drug, WHO said.

WHO also recommended that all patients, including children, who have severe or worsening cases of swine flu, with breathing difficulties, chest pain or severe weakness, should get Tamiflu immediately, perhaps in higher doses than now used.

The advice contradicts some current government policies, such as those in England whose health agency liberally hands out Tamiflu to healthy people with swine flu. -- AP

[Aspellian]

Received a circulating email on H1N1: contents as follows: - i presumed the author is a Malaysian.

As at 15 Aug, as reported, Malaysia suffered from a total deaths of 59out of 3574 confirmed patients, at a relatively high rate of 1.65%( Asat 17 Aug, the number of death cases went up to 64). Of the 182countries inflicted with the flu, so far 56 countries reported ofdeath casualties, of which the top ranking are Guam, USA at 436,Argentina at 404, Brazil at 192, Mexico at 163, Chile at 105,Australia at 102, Thailand at 97, Canada at 66 and Malaysia at 59( nowstands at 64).

Conversely a number of countries having more than double the reportedH1N1 cases in Malaysia have minimal or no casualties reported, notablyno casualty so far in Germany(11493 cases), Japan(5023 cases) andChina(2322 cases). Out of 6417 cases in HK, only 4 casualtiesreported, while out of 1280 cases in Taiwan, only one death reported.These are countries having much higher population density thanMalaysia, but yet suffer the least casualty rate.

What could be thereason?Besides treatment by Western medicines, most of the Asians in China,Japan, Taiwan and HK have vastly different dietary habits andalternative herbal treatment. The Japs invariably drink green tea astheir key daily beverage. The Chinese, besides the habit of teadrinking, also have the traditional habit of drinking herbal tea(凉茶）todetox and cool down the body systems, against presumably thephenomenon of elevated body temperatue suffered by Flu patients. InHK, in addition to daily Dimsum breakfast and lunches with lots of teadrinking, herbal tea outlets abound in all nooks and corners of thestreets for passer-by's to have a cuppa as a routine way of dailylife.

So, could this be the basic difference? Of course, in the caseof the Japs, green tea provides them with much polyphenols( notablycathechins) and Vitamin C. For the Chinese, the key herbs that areused in most herbal formulations are 金银花(jinyinhua), mulberry leaves,chrysanthemun flowers and licorice.So, do start a good habit of tea drinking, including of course herbaltea, as a preventive measure against flu!! It can also be veryrelaxing too in drinking herbal tea, especially in Taiwan where youcan also admire the beauty of the 凉茶妹！

On a related issue, be warned of the potential side effects of newH1N1 flu vaccines being developed by Glaxo Smith Kline, which couldprobably cause Guillain-Barre Synchrome, GBS, a neural disordersickness that damages the neural system, leading to possibly paralysisand stoppage of breathing, hence death. Sunday Post in UK discoveredrecently that the Preventive Health Department( direct translationfron Chinese, 卫生防护局）issued on 29 July a confidential circular to 600neurologists , requesting them to be on the alert for such GBS risks.UK have plan to start the new H1N1 vaccination in October this yr! So,beware and do think b4 you commit.

My personal experience with ourlocal physicians is, they seldom volunteer to inform you the sideeffects before you decide to commit!In the meantime, try to eat & drink well!

[kennynah]

what's our death rate here in singapore ?

[sidney]

I think is 12 as of last wk. The last victim is Ah moh with other complications + h1n1

[kennynah]

this ang moh is singaporean or outsider? i am only keen to know the number of singaporeans who died from this epidemic... thanks for the info...

[greenhoney]

thing h1n1 just will not go away! i wonder when or if ever it will pick up enough momentum to cause a worldwide panic and possible trigger a sell down?

[winston]

Wait till winter comes ..

[winston]

They are starting to vaccinate the high risk groups in China, especially those who are participating in the 60th Anniversary celebrations. I'm not a doctor but I'm very worried about any side-effects. As always, I would like to think that the intentions are good and are not commerce related ..

===============================================

Doubts over China's one-dose flu vaccine by Mary Ann Benitez, The Standard HK

On the eve of the deadline for the submission of tenders for the HK$700 million contract to supply the SAR with a vaccine against the pandemic swine flu (H1N1) virus, doubts have emerged about the efficacy and safety of one of the leading bidders.

The vaccine from China's Nasdaq-listed Sinovac Biotech (also known in China as Beijing Kexing Bioproducts), is the only one that has not been trialed in the West but is the first in the world to be registered by its own regulatory agency, the State Food and Drug Administration.

The Department of Health's scientific committees are expected to meet and decide on the winning bid next week. The original tender was canceled late last month after the government claimed none of the bidders met its requirements.

Director of Health Lam Ping-yan told The Standard that his delegation's visit to Sinovac on Tuesday was "a fact-finding trip" designed to understand more about the new vaccine. But a leading flu expert, who asked not to be named, said: "The first one to make a swine flu vaccine is not necessarily the best one."

He questioned why Sinovac used a one-shot dose which would only be good for up to three months.

David Hui Sui-cheong, a specialist in respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said yesterday the most worrying aspect of the swine flu vaccine is the potential side effect of Guillaine Barre nervous disease.

A 1976 mass inoculation in the US against a swine flu outbreak led to 500 developing the disease, with several deaths.

"For any new vaccine for a brand new virus, you would wait six months to see if there are any side effects.

"But if you are running short of time, you have to make a decision: it takes at least three months after injection for any nervous disease or any unusual side effects to emerge," Hui said.

Infectious disease specialist Lo Wing-lok said: "We should worry about the system of drug regulations in the mainland."

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... 90911&fc=8