Swine Flu Cases May Now Exceed Half Million

[george]

Swine flu cases may now exceed half million

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- Just one week after announcing plans to release weekly pandemic A(H1N1) infection and mortality rates, the Public Health Ministry yesterday abandoned the proposal.

Deputy permanent secretary for public health, Dr Paichit Warachit, said that in the previous week the number of deaths attributed to pandemic A(H1N1), originally termed swine flu, had increased by 21, to 65, while the number of confirmed cases had risen from last weeks figure of 6,776 to 8,877.

However, in a dramatic back-flip to the planned weekly updates, Dr Paichit also announced yesterday that the ministry will no longer make announcements on the number of infected people.

According to Dr Paichit more than 500,000 people could currently be infected with the virus and it is unrealistic to continue attempting to report the exact number.

At the same the ministry also advised any person exhibiting flu-like symptoms to seek medical assistance within two days of the onset, irrespective of whether they had underlying symptoms which could exasperate the condition or not.

The instructions came as the first death of a healthcare worker, an unnamed 57-year-old doctor at Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Medicine, was also announced.

According to the ministry, the majority of people who have so far died from pandemic A(H1N1) resulted from patients delaying seeking medical assistance for six days or more.

Dr Paichit said people with no chronic diseases should wait no more than two days before seeking medical treatment, while those with chronic disease should head to the nearest hospital as soon as they develop symptoms.

He said patients with severe flu symptoms need to take the anti-viral drug oseltamivir within 48 to 72 hours of infection to reduce the chance of developing pneumonia, which can be fatal.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) is to start manufacturing 20 million tablets of oseltamivir to increase stocks from 15 million to 55 million doses early next month and GPO director Dr Vithit Attavijjakul said it could be delivered to urban areas in less than 24 hours and to rural areas in less than 48 hours.

He said the GPO is also reserving 50,000 oseltamivir tablets for its regional offices in Chiang Mai, Udon Thani and Hat Yai for distribution to 18 provinces.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-07-30

[slapout]

As a old farm boy the difference between 8877 confirmed cases and 500,000 who could/may be infected is beyond my understanding of a error % used in any type of poll/number count, etc . I am always skeptical of findings which use a +- 5 %, but these numbers are as suspect, as the pimps renting out the virgins, as well as the intelligence of the customers who believe them.