A 49-year-old woman died of heart attack at her home in Metro Manila on Friday, but a throat swab indicated she was infected with the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, making her death the first in the Philippines related to swine flu. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who announced the woman’s death at yesterday’s briefing, stressed that the death was not caused by the virus but could have been aggravated by it.
The woman’s death and the rise in the number of swine flu cases in the country and elsewhere have prompted the Department of Health (DOH) to gear up for a possible virulent strain of the virus. Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the Center for Dise
ase Prevention and Control, said a second wave of the virus would take place if the virus mutated into a “more virulent and more fatal” strain.
As of yesterday, the number of A(H1N1) cases stood at 445 after 17 more people, including two foreigners, were confirmed to have the virus. The World Health Organization has declared a flu pandemic. As of Friday, it said more than 44,200 cases had been reported worldwide with 180 deaths, mostly in Mexico and the United States.
“We would like to emphasize that globally and locally, the overwhelming majority of cases only experience mild symptoms and eventually make a rapid and full recovery, often even without any form of medical intervention,” Duque said. Of the 445 confirmed cases, 84 percent or 374 have already fully recovered, the DOH said.
The woman came home from work on June 17, complaining of weakness, according to a DOH investigation. She did not report for work the next day and went into self-medication (taking paracetamol) as she experienced dry cough, fever and chills. On the morning of June 19, she skipped breakfast. She was restless and complained of difficulty in breathing. She died shortly before a doctor arrived.
The woman’s death and the rise in the number of swine flu cases in the country and elsewhere have prompted the Department of Health (DOH) to gear up for a possible virulent strain of the virus. Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the Center for Dise
ase Prevention and Control, said a second wave of the virus would take place if the virus mutated into a “more virulent and more fatal” strain.As of yesterday, the number of A(H1N1) cases stood at 445 after 17 more people, including two foreigners, were confirmed to have the virus. The World Health Organization has declared a flu pandemic. As of Friday, it said more than 44,200 cases had been reported worldwide with 180 deaths, mostly in Mexico and the United States.
“We would like to emphasize that globally and locally, the overwhelming majority of cases only experience mild symptoms and eventually make a rapid and full recovery, often even without any form of medical intervention,” Duque said. Of the 445 confirmed cases, 84 percent or 374 have already fully recovered, the DOH said.
The woman came home from work on June 17, complaining of weakness, according to a DOH investigation. She did not report for work the next day and went into self-medication (taking paracetamol) as she experienced dry cough, fever and chills. On the morning of June 19, she skipped breakfast. She was restless and complained of difficulty in breathing. She died shortly before a doctor arrived.
No comments:
Post a Comment