2 more deaths bring H1N1-related fatalities in S'pore to 3
Posted: 22 July 2009
SINGAPORE: Two patients died on Wednesday, bringing the total number of H1N1-related deaths in Singapore to three.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said a 13-year-old boy, who was admitted to National University Hospital's Paediatric ICU on Sunday, died on Wednesday morning. He had epilepsy and the cause of death was due to prolonged seizures, with H1N1 as a contributing factor.
The second H1N1-related death on Wednesday was a 55-year-old man. He was admitted to Changi General Hospital's ICU last Saturday. The MOH said the cause of his death was severe pneumonia with advanced motor neuron disease and underlying H1N1.
Singapore's first H1N1-related death was a 49-year-old man with severe heart disease and multiple health problems. He died from a heart attack with H1N1 infection on July 18.
Meanwhile, one more H1N1 patient was admitted into ICU on Wednesday. She is a 42-year-old foreigner with a history of hypertension and who is overweight.
She sought treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Emergency Department, after suffering three days of shortness of breath. She was found to have low oxygen saturation and low blood pressure.
The MOH has been reminding people in the high-risk groups who develop flu-like symptoms to seek medical treatment early.
Elsewhere, a 42-year-old woman with hypertension and thyroid disease - who was admitted to Changi General Hospital's ICU on July 18 - remains in critical condition.
A 46-year-old foreigner with hypertension and kidney disease on dialysis, who was admitted to Mount Elizabeth's ICU on July 20, is in stable condition.
Also in stable condition is a 51-year-old woman with asthma. She was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital's ICU on July 20.
Of the three patients in Singapore General Hospital's ICU, one has been transferred to the general ward. The other two who are still in the ICU are in stable condition.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan had said more people in Singapore were expected to be infected with H1N1 as the transmission peaks within the next one to two weeks.
Recent data showed that more than half of all flu cases in Singapore were H1N1 positive.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Showing posts with label Influenza A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Influenza A. Show all posts
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tamiflu-resistant swine flu patient found in Japan: govt
Tamiflu-resistant swine flu patient found in Japan: govt
July 2nd, 2009
- wong chee tat :)
July 2nd, 2009
A genetic mutation of swine flu that is resistant to the anti-viral Tamiflu has been discovered in Japan, the first such case in the country, the health ministry said.
It was the second reported case of Tamiflu resistance linked to swine flu in less than a week.
The latest case was found in a patient who had been given the drug since first being diagnosed with A(H1N1) around two weeks ago, Kyodo news agency reported Thursday, citing the Health, Welfare and Labour Ministry.
The patient -- a woman in Osaka prefecture -- was recovering after having been given Ralenza, an alternative anti-flu medication, the report said.
A spokeswoman for Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche, which makes Tamiflu, said the company had been informed of the case and called it "normal."
"It is absolutely normal," she said, adding that "0.4 percent of adults develop resistance" to Tamiflu.
She said the case does not indicate Tamiflu has become less effective against swine flu.
Danish authorities announced earlier this week they had discovered resistance to Tamiflu in a female patient. Ralenza was also used successfully to treat her.
According to the latest World Health Organization figures, Japan has 1,266 reported cases of swine flu, but has so far recorded no fatalities.
(c) 2009 AFP- wong chee tat :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Nightclub operators put in place H1N1 precautionary measures
Nightclub operators put in place H1N1 precautionary measures
By Lynda Hong & Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 0006 hrs
SINGAPORE : Several nightspot operators have put in place H1N1 precautionary measures.
Nightclub operator Lifebrandz has put up posters updating patrons on the current H1N1 situation at all 10 of its outlets.
Patrons are also given temperature checks and offered hand sanitisers before entering.
Patrons with a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius will not be allowed to enter.
As of Saturday, Lifebrandz has not turned away any patrons.
Several other nightclub operators Channel NewsAsia spoke to said they are carrying out similar measures.
Operators added that they are confident that business will not be affected.
Lifebrandz's CEO, Bernard Lim, said: "We know that this is going to be a long-drawn process - fighting the H1N1 virus.
"So long as everyone is socially responsible and they take care of their own health, maintaining certain level of hygiene, we are quite sure that our patrons will come out and have a good time regardless."
- CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
By Lynda Hong & Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 0006 hrs
SINGAPORE : Several nightspot operators have put in place H1N1 precautionary measures.
Nightclub operator Lifebrandz has put up posters updating patrons on the current H1N1 situation at all 10 of its outlets.
Patrons are also given temperature checks and offered hand sanitisers before entering.
Patrons with a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius will not be allowed to enter.
As of Saturday, Lifebrandz has not turned away any patrons.
Several other nightclub operators Channel NewsAsia spoke to said they are carrying out similar measures.
Operators added that they are confident that business will not be affected.
Lifebrandz's CEO, Bernard Lim, said: "We know that this is going to be a long-drawn process - fighting the H1N1 virus.
"So long as everyone is socially responsible and they take care of their own health, maintaining certain level of hygiene, we are quite sure that our patrons will come out and have a good time regardless."
- CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
Schools carry out measures to prevent spread of H1N1 flu
Schools carry out measures to prevent spread of H1N1 flu
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1400 hrs
SINGAPORE: Students in Singapore returned to local schools on Monday to find full measures in place to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu.
After a month-long break, teachers and students who had travelled to H1N1-affected countries, or those who were unwell, had been told to stay home.
Over at Outram Secondary School, a screening station at the school gates greeted students as they returned for class.
"I have flu. (Question: If you have the flu, why not stay at home?) A bit only...will recover after that," said a student.
Those who displayed flu-like symptoms were isolated from their classmates and sent home.
Students were also required to hand in their travel declaration forms to their teachers.
All classes were also taught lessons on how to be socially responsible and adopt good hygiene habits based on guidelines set out in the Education Ministry's H1N1 education package.
Posters on social responsibility went up around the school and videos on hygiene habits were shown on television screens throughout the school as well.
Similar H1N1 precautionary measures were carried out at Mee Toh Primary School.
Recess was also staggered over four school periods, instead of the previous two, to reduce the risk of infection.
At Nan Hua Primary School at Jalan Lempeng, students were segregated into three batches for staggered recess breaks.
Principal Lee Hui Feng said: "That means each group has about 200 pupils and we try to ensure that when the children gather, there's a gap in between the classes and we shorten the time that they are assembled together. I think the most important thing is the teacher will monitor their health status closely and we also remind students about their personal hygiene."
Some students took the new measures in their stride and were just glad to be back. "I feel very happy coming back to school because I can see my friends," said one chirpy student.
Measures are also in place to ensure staff do not cross-infect one other.
Choy Wai Yin, principal of Outram Secondary School, said: "We're dividing the staff into different teams and there will be different staff rooms for this period of time so that there is minimal mass staff contact with one another and we will always have a functioning team."
The Education Ministry says one to two per cent of all students in Singapore are serving out a Leave Of Absence (LOA) as a precaution.
Outram Secondary School says out of its 950 students, some 30 of them and one teacher are on LOA.
While over at Mee Toh Primary School, there are 29 students and one teacher on LOA.
Some parents Channel NewsAsia spoke to were skeptical about whether measures such as filling up travel declaration forms would work.
One parent, who dropped off his child at Mee Toh Primary School, said: "Whether they will declare it properly, whether they have been to the affected countries, we're not sure. But I think that it's quite right that we have some sort of precautionary measures."
Speaking at an event on Monday morning, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen addressed concerns about whether more schools may be closed, if the situation gets worse.
He said: "I wouldn't paint a doomsday scenario and say 'what if'. For schools, what it does mean is that when we want to prevent big clusters from forming, we have to close down certain classes, certain schools. And we take it a day at a time, a week at a time and we adjust to the situation."
Dr Ng added that although there is no way to stop this pandemic, the current measures aim to slow down the spread of the virus. And he hopes this will help students lead as normal a school life as possible.
- CNA/yt/ir
- wong chee tat :)
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1400 hrs
SINGAPORE: Students in Singapore returned to local schools on Monday to find full measures in place to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu.
After a month-long break, teachers and students who had travelled to H1N1-affected countries, or those who were unwell, had been told to stay home.
Over at Outram Secondary School, a screening station at the school gates greeted students as they returned for class.
"I have flu. (Question: If you have the flu, why not stay at home?) A bit only...will recover after that," said a student.
Those who displayed flu-like symptoms were isolated from their classmates and sent home.
Students were also required to hand in their travel declaration forms to their teachers.
All classes were also taught lessons on how to be socially responsible and adopt good hygiene habits based on guidelines set out in the Education Ministry's H1N1 education package.
Posters on social responsibility went up around the school and videos on hygiene habits were shown on television screens throughout the school as well.
Similar H1N1 precautionary measures were carried out at Mee Toh Primary School.
Recess was also staggered over four school periods, instead of the previous two, to reduce the risk of infection.
At Nan Hua Primary School at Jalan Lempeng, students were segregated into three batches for staggered recess breaks.
Principal Lee Hui Feng said: "That means each group has about 200 pupils and we try to ensure that when the children gather, there's a gap in between the classes and we shorten the time that they are assembled together. I think the most important thing is the teacher will monitor their health status closely and we also remind students about their personal hygiene."
Some students took the new measures in their stride and were just glad to be back. "I feel very happy coming back to school because I can see my friends," said one chirpy student.
Measures are also in place to ensure staff do not cross-infect one other.
Choy Wai Yin, principal of Outram Secondary School, said: "We're dividing the staff into different teams and there will be different staff rooms for this period of time so that there is minimal mass staff contact with one another and we will always have a functioning team."
The Education Ministry says one to two per cent of all students in Singapore are serving out a Leave Of Absence (LOA) as a precaution.
Outram Secondary School says out of its 950 students, some 30 of them and one teacher are on LOA.
While over at Mee Toh Primary School, there are 29 students and one teacher on LOA.
Some parents Channel NewsAsia spoke to were skeptical about whether measures such as filling up travel declaration forms would work.
One parent, who dropped off his child at Mee Toh Primary School, said: "Whether they will declare it properly, whether they have been to the affected countries, we're not sure. But I think that it's quite right that we have some sort of precautionary measures."
Speaking at an event on Monday morning, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen addressed concerns about whether more schools may be closed, if the situation gets worse.
He said: "I wouldn't paint a doomsday scenario and say 'what if'. For schools, what it does mean is that when we want to prevent big clusters from forming, we have to close down certain classes, certain schools. And we take it a day at a time, a week at a time and we adjust to the situation."
Dr Ng added that although there is no way to stop this pandemic, the current measures aim to slow down the spread of the virus. And he hopes this will help students lead as normal a school life as possible.
- CNA/yt/ir
- wong chee tat :)
500 students at RI Boarding School on leave of absence
500 students at RI Boarding School on leave of absence
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1944 hrs
SINGAPORE: All 500-odd students and 20 teachers at Raffles Institution Boarding School are on Leave of Absence.
This is because a majority of the boarders are foreigners who have been to H1N1-affected countries during the recent school holidays.
Raffles Institution Boarding School has two H1N1 cases, who did not enter the school premises.
They showed symptoms upon arrival in Singapore.
The entire RI campus, with a student population of 4,500, is now segregated into three sections - Junior College, Secondary and Boarding School.
RI said tests and classes were carried out in these segregated groups on Monday to minimise interaction.
All students were also asked to leave immediately after school ended.
Junior college students who are boarders on Leave Of Absence sat for their Common Tests at the boarding school.
RI said it is doing everything it can to ensure the well-being of students by maintaining social distancing and grouping wherever possible.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1944 hrs
SINGAPORE: All 500-odd students and 20 teachers at Raffles Institution Boarding School are on Leave of Absence.
This is because a majority of the boarders are foreigners who have been to H1N1-affected countries during the recent school holidays.
Raffles Institution Boarding School has two H1N1 cases, who did not enter the school premises.
They showed symptoms upon arrival in Singapore.
The entire RI campus, with a student population of 4,500, is now segregated into three sections - Junior College, Secondary and Boarding School.
RI said tests and classes were carried out in these segregated groups on Monday to minimise interaction.
All students were also asked to leave immediately after school ended.
Junior college students who are boarders on Leave Of Absence sat for their Common Tests at the boarding school.
RI said it is doing everything it can to ensure the well-being of students by maintaining social distancing and grouping wherever possible.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
30 new H1N1 cases raise total in Singapore to 629
30 new H1N1 cases raise total in Singapore to 629
Posted: 29 June 2009 2151 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed 30 new cases of H1N1 flu, bringing the total to 629 so far.
According to the Health Ministry, 246 patients have fully recovered while the rest are in stable condition.
Together with 105 cases pending investigation on Sunday, 71 have been investigated - comprising 58 local cases and 13 imported ones.
A new cluster has surfaced, comprising three Raffles Institution Boarding School students who have just returned from affected countries.
The greatest number of new cases registered on Monday, however, came from the Republic Polytechnic. It has 17 new cases, bringing the total in the cluster to 66.
There were eight new cases at Clementi Camp, which now has 53 cases.
Maju Camp has three new ones, bringing the total there to 22.
At the Police Coast Guard's Brani Base, one new case brings the total there to five.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Local clusters of H1N1 transmission take measures to minimise spread of virus
Local clusters of H1N1 transmission take measures to minimise spread of virus
By Ng Lian Cheong/Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 June 2009 2139 hrs
SINGAPORE : Singapore's first two clusters of local H1N1 transmission have taken measures to minimise the spread of the virus.
The National University of Singapore which had three cases - all exchange students - said it is monitoring the situation closely.
The students are in stable condition, and close contacts placed on Home Quarantine Orders are doing well.
Riverlife Church - which had five cases - saw a relatively quieter Sunday service.
As a precaution, the church had asked those aged 18 and below not to attend services for now.
Those older must undergo mandatory temperature screening before entering the church.
City Harvest Church, which has about 27,000 members, said it spent some S$10,000 on sanitisers and 60,000 masks.
Derek Dunn, Executive Pastor of City Harvest Church, said: "Those (who) may be exposed to someone who may have contracted H1N1, we request that they do not come for the services and do the voluntary quarantine. We have 'live' streaming for all services; they can actually watch it at home from the Internet."
The Asian Youth Games organising committee said the infected Filipino football player is also in stable condition.
His team mates have tested negative for the virus. But they will remain quarantined until June 26.
The committee said no further tests will be done on the players, unless they develop flu-like symptoms.
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
By Ng Lian Cheong/Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 June 2009 2139 hrs
SINGAPORE : Singapore's first two clusters of local H1N1 transmission have taken measures to minimise the spread of the virus.
The National University of Singapore which had three cases - all exchange students - said it is monitoring the situation closely.
The students are in stable condition, and close contacts placed on Home Quarantine Orders are doing well.
Riverlife Church - which had five cases - saw a relatively quieter Sunday service.
As a precaution, the church had asked those aged 18 and below not to attend services for now.
Those older must undergo mandatory temperature screening before entering the church.
City Harvest Church, which has about 27,000 members, said it spent some S$10,000 on sanitisers and 60,000 masks.
Derek Dunn, Executive Pastor of City Harvest Church, said: "Those (who) may be exposed to someone who may have contracted H1N1, we request that they do not come for the services and do the voluntary quarantine. We have 'live' streaming for all services; they can actually watch it at home from the Internet."
The Asian Youth Games organising committee said the infected Filipino football player is also in stable condition.
His team mates have tested negative for the virus. But they will remain quarantined until June 26.
The committee said no further tests will be done on the players, unless they develop flu-like symptoms.
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
Singapore confirms another 16 new H1N1 cases
Singapore confirms another 16 new H1N1 cases
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 June 2009 0040 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed another 16 new cases of H1N1.
Seven are local and nine has travel history, bringing the total number of H1N1 cases in Singapore to 142.
A third cluster of locally-infected cases has also been identified at popular nightclub Butter Factory at One Fullerton.
The new case is a 19-year-old Singaporean female student. She visited the club on June 17 when three previously reported cases were also there.
The Health Ministry has advised all those who had visited Butter Factory on June 17 to monitor their health and seek medical attention if they feel unwell.
The other new cases include two additional ones from the Riverlife Church cluster.
One is a 20-year-old Singaporean female student who attended a church function on June 13, while the other is a 12-year-old Singaporean boy who is a cousin to an earlier case in the cluster.
There were also three new cases with no travel history and no known contact with confirmed cases.
One is a 22-year-old Singaporean female student who participated in a church camp at Prince George's Park from June 15 to 18.
Another is a 21-year-old National Serviceman based at Clementi Police Station.
There was also another local case, a 22-year-old Malaysian man, who is a colleague of a previously confirmed case.
The nine imported cases include three Singaporeans, two Permanent Residents and four foreigners (a Filippino, a Malaysian, an Australian and an Indonesian. They had travelled to Australia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.
Contact tracing is underway. - CNA/de
- wong chee tat :)
Saturday, June 20, 2009
'Stay away' order
'Stay away' order
Schools take precautions ahead of the new term
By Leow Si Wan
SCHOOLS have been contacting students who travelled to flu-affected countries during the June break to remind them not to attend holiday classes and activities within a week of returning home.
At least one, Ping Yi Secondary School, has even cancelled non-essential activities, such as camps. It will also have its security guard check at the school entrance if students have been to any of the listed countries.
A check with 17 primary and secondary schools and junior colleges found them busy telephoning, e-mailing or sending text messages to staff and students who have been to countries with sustained community transmissions, such as Thailand, Canada and the United States.
'We have been SMS-ing these people and putting up notices on the school website to remind them not to come to school within seven days,' said a principal from a junior college.
Schools said they were carrying out a directive from the Education Ministry for students and staff who have travelled to affected countries to stay away from school for a week upon their return and to visit a doctor if they are unwell.
Last week, two students who did not know they were infected went back to school for remedial and holiday activities before being diagnosed.
Students' well-being is most important and a seven-day hiatus will prevent community spread, said a secondary school principal. Schools are pulling out all stops to make sure the directive is followed.
Ping Yi Secondary's principal, Madam Shanti Devi Thambusamy, added that the school has a mass SMS system which can be activated to contact parents and students when there is a need to share new information.
Nan Hua Primary School is also making plans for when school reopens.
The school principal, Mrs Lee Hui Feng, said that the school will not have assemblies for a week 'to minimise contact in large groups' and classrooms will be disinfected.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
siwan@sph.com.sg
Additional reporting by Cheryl Ong & Corrie Tan
- wong chee tat :)
Schools take precautions ahead of the new term
By Leow Si Wan
SCHOOLS have been contacting students who travelled to flu-affected countries during the June break to remind them not to attend holiday classes and activities within a week of returning home.
At least one, Ping Yi Secondary School, has even cancelled non-essential activities, such as camps. It will also have its security guard check at the school entrance if students have been to any of the listed countries.
A check with 17 primary and secondary schools and junior colleges found them busy telephoning, e-mailing or sending text messages to staff and students who have been to countries with sustained community transmissions, such as Thailand, Canada and the United States.
'We have been SMS-ing these people and putting up notices on the school website to remind them not to come to school within seven days,' said a principal from a junior college.
Schools said they were carrying out a directive from the Education Ministry for students and staff who have travelled to affected countries to stay away from school for a week upon their return and to visit a doctor if they are unwell.
Last week, two students who did not know they were infected went back to school for remedial and holiday activities before being diagnosed.
Students' well-being is most important and a seven-day hiatus will prevent community spread, said a secondary school principal. Schools are pulling out all stops to make sure the directive is followed.
Ping Yi Secondary's principal, Madam Shanti Devi Thambusamy, added that the school has a mass SMS system which can be activated to contact parents and students when there is a need to share new information.
Nan Hua Primary School is also making plans for when school reopens.
The school principal, Mrs Lee Hui Feng, said that the school will not have assemblies for a week 'to minimise contact in large groups' and classrooms will be disinfected.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
siwan@sph.com.sg
Additional reporting by Cheryl Ong & Corrie Tan
- wong chee tat :)
H1N1 flu death toll in US, Canada reaches 100
H1N1 flu death toll in US, Canada reaches 100
Posted: 20 June 2009 1301 hrs
WASHINGTON: Figures released Friday by US and Canadian health authorities show that the H1N1 flu pandemic has killed 100 people in Canada and the United States.
Eighty-seven people died from the disease in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reported, adding that there were 21,449 confirmed cases.
The figures are a jump from the previous report on June 12, when 44 people were reported dead and 17,855 cases were confirmed.
In Canada, the world's third most affected country, health authorities reported a 13th death and 5,710 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) flu.
In Mexico, where the flu strain was first spotted, authorities reported 113 killed by the disease and the number of confirmed infections at more than 7,000.
The most recent World Health Organization data, out Thursday, showed that the H1N1 flu has infected nearly 40,000 people around the world in 89 countries and territories, causing 167 deaths since late March.
Some affected countries no longer keep track of all cases according to the UN health agency, while others do not report for each of the thrice-weekly bulletins.
- AFP/yb
The H1N1 is getting out of control!
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 20 June 2009 1301 hrs
WASHINGTON: Figures released Friday by US and Canadian health authorities show that the H1N1 flu pandemic has killed 100 people in Canada and the United States.
Eighty-seven people died from the disease in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reported, adding that there were 21,449 confirmed cases.
The figures are a jump from the previous report on June 12, when 44 people were reported dead and 17,855 cases were confirmed.
In Canada, the world's third most affected country, health authorities reported a 13th death and 5,710 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) flu.
In Mexico, where the flu strain was first spotted, authorities reported 113 killed by the disease and the number of confirmed infections at more than 7,000.
The most recent World Health Organization data, out Thursday, showed that the H1N1 flu has infected nearly 40,000 people around the world in 89 countries and territories, causing 167 deaths since late March.
Some affected countries no longer keep track of all cases according to the UN health agency, while others do not report for each of the thrice-weekly bulletins.
- AFP/yb
The H1N1 is getting out of control!
- wong chee tat :)
Public hospitals gearing up for possible H1N1 surge
Public hospitals gearing up for possible H1N1 surge
By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 June 2009 2144 hrs
SINGAPORE: Public hospitals in Singapore are gearing up to take in H1N1 patients.
Currently, H1N1 cases are only seen at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the Communicable Disease Centre and the KK Women's and Children's Hospital's paediatric unit.
But if Singapore moves from the containment to mitigation stage, once there is sustained community transmission, it is very likely that restructured hospitals will have to be roped in to manage H1N1 cases.
The National University Hospital (NUH) told Channel NewsAsia that it has been preparing for a possible surge since the first alert from the Health Ministry about two months ago.
Its spokesperson said measures it has prepared to take include postponing non-urgent elective surgeries to create surge capacity, equipping and converting some beds to create more isolation rooms, expanding a fever facility at the Accident and Emergency department and deploying more staff.
More staff will be deployed to A&E to cope with the increased workload once the fever facility is expanded, for example, to perform nasal swabs and provide explanations to patients and their families.
Posters and materials to educate and remind staff, patients and visitors on the importance of hand hygiene and Personal Protection Equipment will also be put up.
Over at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), staff are also prepared to manage and treat H1N1 patients.
SGH said its response preparedness was ramped up and put in place since the initial stages of the global outbreak.
The hospital has also set aside adequate isolation and intensive care facilities to manage the increase in H1N1 cases, especially in light of potential community spread.
- CNA/i
- wong chee tat :)
By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 June 2009 2144 hrs
SINGAPORE: Public hospitals in Singapore are gearing up to take in H1N1 patients.
Currently, H1N1 cases are only seen at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the Communicable Disease Centre and the KK Women's and Children's Hospital's paediatric unit.
But if Singapore moves from the containment to mitigation stage, once there is sustained community transmission, it is very likely that restructured hospitals will have to be roped in to manage H1N1 cases.
The National University Hospital (NUH) told Channel NewsAsia that it has been preparing for a possible surge since the first alert from the Health Ministry about two months ago.
Its spokesperson said measures it has prepared to take include postponing non-urgent elective surgeries to create surge capacity, equipping and converting some beds to create more isolation rooms, expanding a fever facility at the Accident and Emergency department and deploying more staff.
More staff will be deployed to A&E to cope with the increased workload once the fever facility is expanded, for example, to perform nasal swabs and provide explanations to patients and their families.
Posters and materials to educate and remind staff, patients and visitors on the importance of hand hygiene and Personal Protection Equipment will also be put up.
Over at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), staff are also prepared to manage and treat H1N1 patients.
SGH said its response preparedness was ramped up and put in place since the initial stages of the global outbreak.
The hospital has also set aside adequate isolation and intensive care facilities to manage the increase in H1N1 cases, especially in light of potential community spread.
- CNA/i
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Novartis produces first batch of swine flu vaccine
Novartis produces first batch of swine flu vaccine
June 12th, 2009
Swiss drugs giant Novartis has completed a first batch of swine flu vaccine for pre-clinical trials and aims to make a version available in the fall, the company said Friday.
"Novartis has successfully completed the production of the first batch of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, weeks ahead of expectations," the company said in a statement.
The 10-litre batch "will be used for pre-clinical evaluation and testing and is also being considered for use in clinical trials," it said.
Novartis hopes to start clinical trials in July and "expects licensure in the fall of 2009," it said.
It added that "more than 30 governments have made requests to Novartis to supply them with influenza A(H1N1) vaccine ingredients."
The company used cell-based technology to produce the vaccine, a faster method than the traditional technology that uses eggs, according to Novartis.
Novartis received 289 million dollars (206.8 million euros) last month from the US Department of Health and Human Services for the development of the vaccine.
The World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic on Thursday, ratcheting up its alert to the maximum level of six.
Swine flu has infected people almost 30,000 people in 75 countries and claimed 144 lives since it was first detected in Mexico in April.
(c) 2009 AFP
- wong chee tat :)
June 12th, 2009
Swiss drugs giant Novartis has completed a first batch of swine flu vaccine for pre-clinical trials and aims to make a version available in the fall, the company said Friday.
"Novartis has successfully completed the production of the first batch of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, weeks ahead of expectations," the company said in a statement.
The 10-litre batch "will be used for pre-clinical evaluation and testing and is also being considered for use in clinical trials," it said.
Novartis hopes to start clinical trials in July and "expects licensure in the fall of 2009," it said.
It added that "more than 30 governments have made requests to Novartis to supply them with influenza A(H1N1) vaccine ingredients."
The company used cell-based technology to produce the vaccine, a faster method than the traditional technology that uses eggs, according to Novartis.
Novartis received 289 million dollars (206.8 million euros) last month from the US Department of Health and Human Services for the development of the vaccine.
The World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic on Thursday, ratcheting up its alert to the maximum level of six.
Swine flu has infected people almost 30,000 people in 75 countries and claimed 144 lives since it was first detected in Mexico in April.
(c) 2009 AFP
- wong chee tat :)
Swine Flu Update: WHO Declares Pandemic In Response To Ongoing Global Spread Of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus
Swine Flu Update: WHO Declares Pandemic In Response To Ongoing Global Spread Of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus
ScienceDaily (June 12, 2009) — On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, which causes swine flu. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway.
More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.
WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. It’s uncertain at this time how serious or severe this novel H1N1 pandemic will be in terms of how many people infected will develop serious complications or die from novel H1N1 infection. Experience with this virus so far is limited and influenza is unpredictable. However, because novel H1N1 is a new virus, many people may have little or no immunity against it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against novel H1N1 virus.
In the United States, most people who have become ill with the newly declared pandemic virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment, however, CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this pandemic in the coming days and weeks. In addition, this virus could cause significant illness with associated hospitalizations and deaths in the fall and winter during the U.S. influenza season.
Background
Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus, but it may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching your nose or mouth. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to cause a wide range of flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, many people also have reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.
The first novel H1N1 patient in the United States was confirmed by laboratory testing at CDC on April 15, 2009. The second patient was confirmed on April 17, 2009. It was quickly determined that the virus was spreading from person-to-person. On April 22, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to better coordinate the public health response. On April 26, 2009, the United States Government declared a public health emergency and has been actively and aggressively implementing the nation’s pandemic response plan.
Since the outbreak was first detected, an increasing number of U.S. states have reported cases of novel H1N1 influenza with associated hospitalizations and deaths. By June 3, 2009, all 50 states in the United States and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were reporting cases of novel H1N1 infection. While nationwide U.S. influenza surveillance systems indicate that overall influenza activity is decreasing in the country at this time, novel H1N1 outbreaks are ongoing in parts of the U.S., in some cases with intense activity.
CDC is continuing to watch the situation carefully, to support the public health response and to gather information about this virus and its characteristics. The Southern Hemisphere is just beginning its influenza season and the experience there may provide valuable clues about what may occur in the Northern Hemisphere this fall and winter.
CDC Response
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce the spread and severity of illness, and to provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this new public health threat.
CDC is issuing updated interim guidance in response to the rapidly evolving situation (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm).
Clinician Guidance
CDC has issued interim guidance for clinicians on identifying and caring for patients with novel H1N1 (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/identifyingpatients.htm), in addition to providing interim guidance on the use of antiviral drugs (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm). Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) with activity against influenza viruses, including novel influenza H1N1 viruses. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat people hospitalized with influenza illness, and to treat people at increased risk of severe illness, including pregnant women, young children, and people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes and other metabolic diseases, heart or lung disease, kidney disease, weakened immune systems, and persons with neurologic or neuromuscular disease.
Public Guidance
CDC has provided guidance for the public on what to do if they become sick with flu-like symptoms, including infection with novel H1N1 (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm). CDC also has issued instructions on taking care of a sick person at home (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm) and the use of facemasks and respirators to reduce novel influenza A (H1n1) transmission (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm). Everyone should take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, including frequent hand washing and people who are sick should stay home and avoid contact with others in order to limit further spread of the disease.
Testing
CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus.
Vaccine
Vaccines are a very important part of a response to pandemic influenza and the U.S. Government is aggressively taking early steps in the process to manufacture a novel H1N1 vaccine, working closely with manufacturers. CDC has isolated the new H1N1 virus, made a candidate vaccine virus that can be used to create vaccine, and has provided this virus to industry so they can begin scaling up for production of a vaccine, if necessary. Making vaccine is a long multi-step process requiring several months to complete.
Stockpile Deployment
CDC has deployed 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States and U.S. territories. This included antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices. The influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to novel H1N1 virus.
Surveillance
Novel influenza A (H1N1) activity is now being detected through CDC’s routine influenza surveillance systems and reported weekly in FluView. CDC tracks U.S. influenza activity through multiple systems across five categories. While our influenza surveillance systems indicate that overall influenza activity is decreasing in the United States, novel H1N1 outbreaks are ongoing in different parts of the U.S., in some cases with intense influenza-like activity. Most of the influenza viruses being detected now are novel H1N1 viruses.
Shared Responsibility
Individuals have an important role in protecting themselves and their families.
* Stay informed. Health officials will provide additional information as it becomes available.
* Everyone should take these everyday steps to protect your health and lessen the spread of this new virus:
o Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
o Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
o Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
o Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
o If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
o Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social
distancing measures.
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Three more H1N1 patients discharged from CDC
Three more H1N1 patients discharged from CDC
By Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 June 2009 2052 hrs
SINGAPORE: Three more patients who had the H1N1 flu virus have been discharged from the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), bringing the total number of patients discharged to nine.
Six patients are still in hospital and their conditions are stable.
The Ministry of Health said on Monday that Singapore had one suspected case of H1N1 infection but subsequent tests proved negative, so the total number of confirmed cases remains at 15.
Seventy-three countries have officially reported 25,288 cases of H1N1 infection, including 139 deaths.
- CNA/so
- wong chee tat :)
By Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 June 2009 2052 hrs
SINGAPORE: Three more patients who had the H1N1 flu virus have been discharged from the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), bringing the total number of patients discharged to nine.
Six patients are still in hospital and their conditions are stable.
The Ministry of Health said on Monday that Singapore had one suspected case of H1N1 infection but subsequent tests proved negative, so the total number of confirmed cases remains at 15.
Seventy-three countries have officially reported 25,288 cases of H1N1 infection, including 139 deaths.
- CNA/so
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Swine Flu Genes Dissimilar To Past Pandemics
Swine Flu Genes Dissimilar To Past Pandemics
ScienceDaily (May 7, 2009) — Some genetic markers of influenza infection severity have been identified from past outbreaks. Researchers have failed to find most of these markers, described in the open access journal BMC Microbiology, in samples of the current swine-flu strain.
Jonathan Allen and Tom Slezak from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, America, published their analysis identifying 34 conserved amino acid markers from past pandemic flu strains two weeks ago. They have since studied sequences from the new virus and found that only about half of their 34 markers are present.
Slezak said, "This lack of similarity does not necessarily mean that the current H1N1 virus is not going to be a major problem, but it does suggest that it lacks many of the attributes that have made previous outbreaks deadly".
The researchers stress that, although their work appears to suggest that the current virus may not be as dangerous as feared, more studies are required before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
Journal reference:
1. Allen et al. Conserved amino acid markers from past influenza pandemic strains. BMC Microbiology, 2009; 9 (1): 77 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-9-77
- wong chee tat :)
ScienceDaily (May 7, 2009) — Some genetic markers of influenza infection severity have been identified from past outbreaks. Researchers have failed to find most of these markers, described in the open access journal BMC Microbiology, in samples of the current swine-flu strain.
Jonathan Allen and Tom Slezak from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, America, published their analysis identifying 34 conserved amino acid markers from past pandemic flu strains two weeks ago. They have since studied sequences from the new virus and found that only about half of their 34 markers are present.
Slezak said, "This lack of similarity does not necessarily mean that the current H1N1 virus is not going to be a major problem, but it does suggest that it lacks many of the attributes that have made previous outbreaks deadly".
The researchers stress that, although their work appears to suggest that the current virus may not be as dangerous as feared, more studies are required before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
Journal reference:
1. Allen et al. Conserved amino acid markers from past influenza pandemic strains. BMC Microbiology, 2009; 9 (1): 77 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-9-77
- wong chee tat :)
Asian nations warned to stay vigilant over flu
Asian nations warned to stay vigilant over flu
Posted: 07 May 2009 1853 hrs
BANGKOK: The World Health Organization Thursday urged Asian nations to remain vigilant against influenza A (H1N1), admitting that it had yet to get a handle on the outbreak despite the relatively low death toll.
The warning came as officials from China, Japan, South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Bangkok to forge a common front in the fight against the virus.
Hundreds of Thai soldiers surrounded the venue for the meeting at a downtown Bangkok hotel to prevent a repeat of anti-government protests that wrecked a regional summit in Thailand in April.
WHO Acting Director-General Keiji Fukuda said the virus was milder than that which caused the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic but warned that it could yet follow a similar pattern and become more virulent later in the year.
"It is critical for countries to maintain their alertness and monitoring so this evolution can be followed as closely as possible," Fukuda told the Asian officials via videolink from Geneva.
"We don't believe we have fully got a handle on the severity of the phenomenon," he said, adding that Asian nations "should look very closely at their preparedness plans".
Asia has been relatively unscathed by the virus. WHO figures on Wednesday said 1,893 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infections have been reported by 23 countries, with 31 dying from the disease.
Officials from the 13 Asian nations meeting at Bangkok later updated their counterparts on the measures they have adopted to counter the virus. Health ministers from the region will meet on Friday.
Asian nations, already experienced with dealing with deadly SARS and bird flu, have introduced a range of measures from thermoscanners at airports to widespread surveillance steps.
South Korea on Thursday confirmed its third case of influenza A(H1N1) while China started lifting a seven-day quarantine on passengers who had shared a flight from Mexico with a man who later tested positive for the flu.
Fukuda said, however, that vigilance was necessary.
"Complacency is the greatest danger," he said. "It does appear to be a period where the virus may be seeding itself in various parts of the world."
He added: "What we are seeing now is milder than in 1918 (when up to 50 million people died). But the 1918 started mild in springtime and became more severe in winter."
Developing nations in the southern hemisphere, where it is currently the flu season, could be particularly at risk if the virus spreads there, he said, especially in Africa.
Anne Schuchat, deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the conference there was "encouraging news" about the severity of the A(H1N1) virus, with only two deaths in the United States so far.
But she said it was possible that "many more losses will occur".
The meeting was the first of ASEAN and its regional partners since protesters stormed a summit in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya in April, forcing some foreign leaders to evacuate by helicopter.
Thai security forces blocked roads around the hotel and troops brandishing riot shields and batons stood guard on Thursday, although there was no sign of any demonstrations.
- AFP/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 07 May 2009 1853 hrs
BANGKOK: The World Health Organization Thursday urged Asian nations to remain vigilant against influenza A (H1N1), admitting that it had yet to get a handle on the outbreak despite the relatively low death toll.
The warning came as officials from China, Japan, South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Bangkok to forge a common front in the fight against the virus.
Hundreds of Thai soldiers surrounded the venue for the meeting at a downtown Bangkok hotel to prevent a repeat of anti-government protests that wrecked a regional summit in Thailand in April.
WHO Acting Director-General Keiji Fukuda said the virus was milder than that which caused the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic but warned that it could yet follow a similar pattern and become more virulent later in the year.
"It is critical for countries to maintain their alertness and monitoring so this evolution can be followed as closely as possible," Fukuda told the Asian officials via videolink from Geneva.
"We don't believe we have fully got a handle on the severity of the phenomenon," he said, adding that Asian nations "should look very closely at their preparedness plans".
Asia has been relatively unscathed by the virus. WHO figures on Wednesday said 1,893 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infections have been reported by 23 countries, with 31 dying from the disease.
Officials from the 13 Asian nations meeting at Bangkok later updated their counterparts on the measures they have adopted to counter the virus. Health ministers from the region will meet on Friday.
Asian nations, already experienced with dealing with deadly SARS and bird flu, have introduced a range of measures from thermoscanners at airports to widespread surveillance steps.
South Korea on Thursday confirmed its third case of influenza A(H1N1) while China started lifting a seven-day quarantine on passengers who had shared a flight from Mexico with a man who later tested positive for the flu.
Fukuda said, however, that vigilance was necessary.
"Complacency is the greatest danger," he said. "It does appear to be a period where the virus may be seeding itself in various parts of the world."
He added: "What we are seeing now is milder than in 1918 (when up to 50 million people died). But the 1918 started mild in springtime and became more severe in winter."
Developing nations in the southern hemisphere, where it is currently the flu season, could be particularly at risk if the virus spreads there, he said, especially in Africa.
Anne Schuchat, deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the conference there was "encouraging news" about the severity of the A(H1N1) virus, with only two deaths in the United States so far.
But she said it was possible that "many more losses will occur".
The meeting was the first of ASEAN and its regional partners since protesters stormed a summit in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya in April, forcing some foreign leaders to evacuate by helicopter.
Thai security forces blocked roads around the hotel and troops brandishing riot shields and batons stood guard on Thursday, although there was no sign of any demonstrations.
- AFP/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Singapore to lower flu alert to yellow over next five days
Singapore to lower flu alert to yellow over next five days
Posted: 06 May 2009
SINGAPORE - Singapore said Wednesday it would likely lower its alert level for swine flu next week, as the new strain of the virus appeared milder than originally feared.
Authorities, however, will maintain temperature checks at the city-state's
airport, sea ports and land border, the health ministry said in a statement.
Passengers who had travelled to Mexico - the epicentre of the current flu outbreak - within seven days prior to their arrival in Singapore would still be placed under quarantine, it said.
Screenings for flu-like symptoms at offices, schools, buildings and events will be lifted. If the situation remains the same, the alert level will be downgraded to "yellow" - the third in a five-step system - by Monday from the current "orange", the ministry said.
"The new strain of influenza A(H1N1) seems milder than originally feared and appears to be more like seasonal flu," the ministry said. "However, as the situation is still evolving, we would need to constantly review and adjust our responses and be prepared to deal with the changing threat."
The easing of measures is aimed at conserving resources and avoiding "flu fatigue", said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan at a news conference on Wednesday. "We should shift to a sustainable level of flu precaution," he told reporters.
He added: "SARS was not very infectious but deadly. It's like a big elephant. It is easier to spot and when you spot one, you try to shoot it and kill it with an elephant gun. H1N1 is not the same. It's like locusts that come once in a while, and thousands of them. You can try to kill them with elephant guns but it's not possible."
Downgrading alert levels will also help the ministry conserve "bullets" such as the N95 masks, which are running out islandwide, for the second wave of the H1N1 virus attack.
Mr Khaw said: "If your public health measures were to have effect, it must be quick. It must be over-reacting. You must not under react. But you cannot over-react forever - then you cause problem of 'cry wolf'.
"Yellow is not green, the virus is still out there. The situation remains dynamic and we must continue to stay vigilant and manage this crisis nimbly."
As of Wednesday, 12 people are currently in government-imposed home quarantine, the health ministry said. This includes six Singaporeans, five Mexicans and one Indonesian.
Two of the five Mexicans will complete their seven days in isolation just before midnight Wednesday.
Mr Khaw said that as the disease is highly contagious, the public has a very important role to play in combating it by raising standards of hygiene. He urged all Singaporeans to aspire to the Japanese standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
The ministry said that if the virus mutates to become stronger, then alert levels may be revised upwards again.
Mr Khaw also commended the Mexican government for reacting to the H1N1 outbreak promptly and for openly sharing data with the world.
Earlier this week, the Mexican Ambassador in Singapore objected to the republic's decision to impose temporary visa requirements on Mexican passport holders. It said the move is "unnecessary" and "unjustified".
The Health Ministry said Home Quarantine Orders will still apply to persons with a travel history to Mexico in the past seven days and it will closely monitor the situation before deciding whether to lift visa requirements.
Under Singapore law, anyone found in breach of the quarantine order can be fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (US$6,802), jailed six months or both, for a first-time offence.
- AFP/CNA/vm
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 06 May 2009
SINGAPORE - Singapore said Wednesday it would likely lower its alert level for swine flu next week, as the new strain of the virus appeared milder than originally feared.
Authorities, however, will maintain temperature checks at the city-state's
airport, sea ports and land border, the health ministry said in a statement.
Passengers who had travelled to Mexico - the epicentre of the current flu outbreak - within seven days prior to their arrival in Singapore would still be placed under quarantine, it said.
Screenings for flu-like symptoms at offices, schools, buildings and events will be lifted. If the situation remains the same, the alert level will be downgraded to "yellow" - the third in a five-step system - by Monday from the current "orange", the ministry said.
"The new strain of influenza A(H1N1) seems milder than originally feared and appears to be more like seasonal flu," the ministry said. "However, as the situation is still evolving, we would need to constantly review and adjust our responses and be prepared to deal with the changing threat."
The easing of measures is aimed at conserving resources and avoiding "flu fatigue", said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan at a news conference on Wednesday. "We should shift to a sustainable level of flu precaution," he told reporters.
He added: "SARS was not very infectious but deadly. It's like a big elephant. It is easier to spot and when you spot one, you try to shoot it and kill it with an elephant gun. H1N1 is not the same. It's like locusts that come once in a while, and thousands of them. You can try to kill them with elephant guns but it's not possible."
Downgrading alert levels will also help the ministry conserve "bullets" such as the N95 masks, which are running out islandwide, for the second wave of the H1N1 virus attack.
Mr Khaw said: "If your public health measures were to have effect, it must be quick. It must be over-reacting. You must not under react. But you cannot over-react forever - then you cause problem of 'cry wolf'.
"Yellow is not green, the virus is still out there. The situation remains dynamic and we must continue to stay vigilant and manage this crisis nimbly."
As of Wednesday, 12 people are currently in government-imposed home quarantine, the health ministry said. This includes six Singaporeans, five Mexicans and one Indonesian.
Two of the five Mexicans will complete their seven days in isolation just before midnight Wednesday.
Mr Khaw said that as the disease is highly contagious, the public has a very important role to play in combating it by raising standards of hygiene. He urged all Singaporeans to aspire to the Japanese standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
The ministry said that if the virus mutates to become stronger, then alert levels may be revised upwards again.
Mr Khaw also commended the Mexican government for reacting to the H1N1 outbreak promptly and for openly sharing data with the world.
Earlier this week, the Mexican Ambassador in Singapore objected to the republic's decision to impose temporary visa requirements on Mexican passport holders. It said the move is "unnecessary" and "unjustified".
The Health Ministry said Home Quarantine Orders will still apply to persons with a travel history to Mexico in the past seven days and it will closely monitor the situation before deciding whether to lift visa requirements.
Under Singapore law, anyone found in breach of the quarantine order can be fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (US$6,802), jailed six months or both, for a first-time offence.
- AFP/CNA/vm
- wong chee tat :)
Swine flu could protect against deadly mutation: experts
Swine flu could protect against deadly mutation: experts
May 7th, 2009 by Marlowe Hood
The global outbreak of swine flu hovering just below the pandemic threshold could provide immunity for those already infected if the virus mutates into a more deadly form, scientists have told AFP.
That is what happened in 1918, when most people who fell ill with a mild Spring flu were effectively inoculated from the far more lethal strains that roared back a few months later and killed at least 40 million worldwide, according to recent and upcoming studies.
The death rate among those infected during the first wave was 70 percent lower, according to groundbreaking research published in November in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The findings suggest that going all-out to prevent exposure to the kind of non-seasonal flu sweeping across the world today may turn out to be counter-productive in the fight to reduce mortality.
Health officials around the world have taken decisive measures to halt the flu's spread, including closing schools and quarantining travellers.
Mexico City, the epidemic's epicentre, was essentially shuttered for five days until Wednesday.
"In 1918, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, it would have been better to allow a first wave of infection in order to build immunity to the merging virus while it was still mild," said Lone Simonsen, an epidemiologist at George Washington University and a co-author of the November study.
Like the early phase of the devastating pandemic nearly a century ago, the current outbreak of A(H1N1) has spread widely but caused few deaths.
In the last two weeks, the swine flu has spread to 23 countries and infected more than 1,500 people, more than 90 percent of them in North America, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Among the 42 fatalities reported by health officials in Mexico, more than half were healthy young adults, much like the pattern nearly a century ago.
"In a scenario similar to the 1918 pandemic, we would not want to mitigate a 'friendly' first wave," said Cecile Viboud, a scientist at the US National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland who also contributed to the study.
But both researchers agree that it would be difficult to translate their findings into policy recommendations.
"That was then and this is now. We do not even know if there is going to be a second wave, or whether it will be severe. Besides, the mitigation strategy that is currently being implemented may work," Simonsen said by phone.
"We don't know enough about the process of adaptation of novel influenza viruses," noted Viboud by email.
That the first wave of the 1918 flu acted like a vaccine for subsequent waves may seem unsurprising. But their study, which analysed monthly hospitalisation and mortality rates for respiratory illness in dozens of army camps in the United States and Britain, is the first to muster convincing evidence.
"For a lot of people in our field, history begins in about 1995, which is as far back as most electronic archives go," said Christopher Fraser, a mathematical modeller and infectious disease epidemiologist at Imperial College London.
"But if you go back through older records with a modern understanding and computational techniques for processing lots of data, you can really gain a lot of insight into what happened," he told AFP.
Fraser will publish later this month research, based on the private archives of a chief US investigator during the 1918 pandemic, that comes to much the same conclusion.
"We also found that prior immunity protected the population to a very large extent in the autumn wave," he said.
Health officials today, he added, face a chicken-and-egg problem in deciding whether to "let the infection go".
"You would need at least a few thousand infections before you could really say that," which may not happen if the global effort to contain the swine flu's spread succeeds, he explained.
But if you do let the virus progress before finding out how virulent it is, it could put people at risk if the first wave turns out to be more dangerous than expected.
John Oxford, a top virologist at the Saint Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital, agrees that "it would be too dangerous to let the virus run its course -- there are still too many unknowns".
The ratio of infections to fatalities has yet to be calculated, he pointed out.
Fraser, part of a WHO outbreak task force sifting through the data from Mexico, said new figures on the Mexico outbreak would likely be released by Friday.
(c) 2009 AFP
- wong chee tat :)
May 7th, 2009 by Marlowe Hood
The global outbreak of swine flu hovering just below the pandemic threshold could provide immunity for those already infected if the virus mutates into a more deadly form, scientists have told AFP.
That is what happened in 1918, when most people who fell ill with a mild Spring flu were effectively inoculated from the far more lethal strains that roared back a few months later and killed at least 40 million worldwide, according to recent and upcoming studies.
The death rate among those infected during the first wave was 70 percent lower, according to groundbreaking research published in November in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The findings suggest that going all-out to prevent exposure to the kind of non-seasonal flu sweeping across the world today may turn out to be counter-productive in the fight to reduce mortality.
Health officials around the world have taken decisive measures to halt the flu's spread, including closing schools and quarantining travellers.
Mexico City, the epidemic's epicentre, was essentially shuttered for five days until Wednesday.
"In 1918, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, it would have been better to allow a first wave of infection in order to build immunity to the merging virus while it was still mild," said Lone Simonsen, an epidemiologist at George Washington University and a co-author of the November study.
Like the early phase of the devastating pandemic nearly a century ago, the current outbreak of A(H1N1) has spread widely but caused few deaths.
In the last two weeks, the swine flu has spread to 23 countries and infected more than 1,500 people, more than 90 percent of them in North America, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Among the 42 fatalities reported by health officials in Mexico, more than half were healthy young adults, much like the pattern nearly a century ago.
"In a scenario similar to the 1918 pandemic, we would not want to mitigate a 'friendly' first wave," said Cecile Viboud, a scientist at the US National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland who also contributed to the study.
But both researchers agree that it would be difficult to translate their findings into policy recommendations.
"That was then and this is now. We do not even know if there is going to be a second wave, or whether it will be severe. Besides, the mitigation strategy that is currently being implemented may work," Simonsen said by phone.
"We don't know enough about the process of adaptation of novel influenza viruses," noted Viboud by email.
That the first wave of the 1918 flu acted like a vaccine for subsequent waves may seem unsurprising. But their study, which analysed monthly hospitalisation and mortality rates for respiratory illness in dozens of army camps in the United States and Britain, is the first to muster convincing evidence.
"For a lot of people in our field, history begins in about 1995, which is as far back as most electronic archives go," said Christopher Fraser, a mathematical modeller and infectious disease epidemiologist at Imperial College London.
"But if you go back through older records with a modern understanding and computational techniques for processing lots of data, you can really gain a lot of insight into what happened," he told AFP.
Fraser will publish later this month research, based on the private archives of a chief US investigator during the 1918 pandemic, that comes to much the same conclusion.
"We also found that prior immunity protected the population to a very large extent in the autumn wave," he said.
Health officials today, he added, face a chicken-and-egg problem in deciding whether to "let the infection go".
"You would need at least a few thousand infections before you could really say that," which may not happen if the global effort to contain the swine flu's spread succeeds, he explained.
But if you do let the virus progress before finding out how virulent it is, it could put people at risk if the first wave turns out to be more dangerous than expected.
John Oxford, a top virologist at the Saint Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital, agrees that "it would be too dangerous to let the virus run its course -- there are still too many unknowns".
The ratio of infections to fatalities has yet to be calculated, he pointed out.
Fraser, part of a WHO outbreak task force sifting through the data from Mexico, said new figures on the Mexico outbreak would likely be released by Friday.
(c) 2009 AFP
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, May 3, 2009
CDC working on research to combat Influenza A (H1N1)
CDC working on research to combat Influenza A (H1N1)
Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE : The first case of Influenza A H1N1 has surfaced in Asia.
Although Singapore does not have any such cases, health authorities here are working to collect data on how to combat this new flu strain.
The H1N1 virus was discovered in the 1970s, but it’s still unknown how the new virus is transmitted from human to human.
"If you look at the current virus, this virus, it is genetically different compared to the human one. All of us will be susceptible. You open the floodgate and you will have this wave," said Associate Professor Leo Yee Sin, clinical director, Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
Research is currently underway. And fortunately, there is hope of treating Influenza A, the same way as the other types of flu.
"The current circulating seasonal human H1N1 has a very high resistance rate to Tamiflu. However for this current swine influenza, from the information given to us from the infected area, (shows) that resistance to Tamiflu is not something that they have detected yet. So it gives us the assurance that at least we have something we can use to treat and overcome this," said CDC’s clinical director.
Dr Leo said there were three recent pandemics — the Spanish flu from 1918 to 1919, which is the H1N1 subtype; the H2N2 virus in the 1950s; and the H3N2 virus in 1968.
There are currently no cases of Influenza A in Singapore.
Still, to detect the new virus, the CDC is gathering tissue samples of patients from family doctors, polyclinics and hospitals.
The head of the CDC said washing hands frequently can help rid the virus, which can survive outside the human body for several hours in tropical Singapore.
— CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE : The first case of Influenza A H1N1 has surfaced in Asia.
Although Singapore does not have any such cases, health authorities here are working to collect data on how to combat this new flu strain.
The H1N1 virus was discovered in the 1970s, but it’s still unknown how the new virus is transmitted from human to human.
"If you look at the current virus, this virus, it is genetically different compared to the human one. All of us will be susceptible. You open the floodgate and you will have this wave," said Associate Professor Leo Yee Sin, clinical director, Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
Research is currently underway. And fortunately, there is hope of treating Influenza A, the same way as the other types of flu.
"The current circulating seasonal human H1N1 has a very high resistance rate to Tamiflu. However for this current swine influenza, from the information given to us from the infected area, (shows) that resistance to Tamiflu is not something that they have detected yet. So it gives us the assurance that at least we have something we can use to treat and overcome this," said CDC’s clinical director.
Dr Leo said there were three recent pandemics — the Spanish flu from 1918 to 1919, which is the H1N1 subtype; the H2N2 virus in the 1950s; and the H3N2 virus in 1968.
There are currently no cases of Influenza A in Singapore.
Still, to detect the new virus, the CDC is gathering tissue samples of patients from family doctors, polyclinics and hospitals.
The head of the CDC said washing hands frequently can help rid the virus, which can survive outside the human body for several hours in tropical Singapore.
— CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
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