2 new H1N1 flu cases confirmed on Friday, bringing total to 14
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health has confirmed another two H1N1
flu cases, bringing to 14 the total number of cases so far. Both
patients have relatively mild symptoms and are in stable condition.
The 13th case is a 23-year-old Singaporean man who went to
Melbourne on May 27 and developed symptoms in the early hours of June 3
while he was still there. He returned on Singapore Airlines SQ 238 (Row
40) on June 4.
His fever was detected by the thermal scanner at Changi Airport and
he was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). He was subsequently
admitted to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) for further
assessment on the same night.
Laboratory results confirmed his infection on June 5. Contact tracing has begun for passengers within rows 38 to 42.
The 14th patient is a 22-year-old Singaporean woman who is a cabin crew
with Singapore Airlines. She was on the same SQ 25 flight from New York
to Frankfurt as three earlier confirmed cases.
The seventh confirmed case involved a 30-year-old Australian male
tourist who was seated at row 54. The tenth confirmed case was a
33-year-old Singapore female who was seated at row 19 and the 11th
confirmed case involved an 18-year-old American female visitor who was
seated at row 57.
While these three earlier confirmed cases arrived in Singapore on June
1, she had stopped over at Frankfurt and returned to Singapore one day
later on June 2 at 06:30 hours.
Upon arrival, she went home by taxi from the airport. She developed
symptoms in the afternoon of June 3. The next day, she consulted a GP
in the evening.
She was referred to TTSH via a 993 ambulance and admitted to the
CDC for further assessment that night. Laboratory results confirmed her
infection at 15:30 hours on June 5.
Malaysia's Health Ministry has also informed Singapore of two
confirmed cases arising from SQ 25. The two were foreign passengers who
arrived in Singapore on June 1 and left for Kuala Lumpur on June 3.
Passengers on board that flight are advised to monitor their health
closely. If they are unwell, they should go to the CDC immediately,
using the 993 ambulance.
Separately, 40 people who were in contact with the 12th case
involving an 18-year-old Singaporean man have been accounted for. Three
others remain uncontactable and the Immigrations and Checkpoints
Authority have been provided with their details.
- CNA/vm
Originally posted by Short Ninja:This is a very contagious virus but also a mild one so is it possible that many have got it but also recovered fully without their own knowledge? What we need to know is how deadly it will become after it has mutated in the months to come.
thats right and if we all notice the Australian flu season has just began and majority are all Swine Flu...........!
Great...so by end of this year the Northern sphere will start its flu season than all will be Swine Flu....
AFP - Saturday, June 6
MELBOURNE (AFP) - - Australia's second city of Melbourne has become the "swine flu capital of the world", according to a report, as the country's confirmed tally of the disease soared to 1,009.
Some 874 of the infections have been detected in the southern state of Victoria, with most of those cases concentrated in the north and west of the state capital Melbourne, the health department said Saturday.
The disease has spread more than 1,000-fold in the past three weeks, hitting schools in the Melbourne area hard and making Victoria the worst affected area on earth per head of population, The Australian newspaper said.
"Melbourne is now the swine-flu capital of the world, with the H1N1 virus twice as prevalent in the Victorian population as it is in Mexico, where the pandemic began," the respected daily reported.
"With the state's comparatively small population, swine flu occurs in about one in 9,139 Victorians -- more than double the one in 21,860 Mexicans with the virus and triple the one in 27,295 people with swine flu in the US," it added.
Australian swine flu cases now represent about 4.5 percent of the 21,940 confirmed cases in 69 countries reported to the World Health Organisation.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon said late Friday that swine flu would remain on the rise here for some time.
"I would have thought we are not at the halfway point, given that we still don't have an extensive spread in Australia," she told reporters.
She said a vaccine was not yet available and all efforts were being directed at containing the disease.
"The reason it is a marathon is we will potentially have this disease with us not just through this flu season but a risk of it again in the following year," she said.
The UN health agency said Friday it was maintaining the pandemic alert level at five out of six, signalling that a pandemic is "imminent".
Several Australian states and territories this week implemented voluntary quarantine measures for children returning from Victoria or the greater Melbourne area to prevent the spread of the disease.
Aunt of H1N1 patient becomes 15th case
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH )has confirmed another
H1N1 case bringing the total to 15 cases so far. The latest case is a
39-year-old Indonesian woman who is the aunt of an earlier case.
She went to Changi Airport to fetch her niece who returned from New York via Frankfurt on Monday.
When the niece developed symptoms on Tuesday, the aunt brought her to Raffles Hospital by taxi.
The aunt had been on home quarantine and was given medication but
laboratory results confirmed on Saturday that she's been infected with
the H1N1 virus.
Three of her family members have already been placed on Home Quarantine Order (HQO).
She has mild symptoms and is in stable condition.
The Health Ministry said although the 15th case was started on chemoprophylaxis when she was served the home quarantine order, it should be noted that she could already have been infected through close contact with her niece prior to taking the medicine.
While chemoprophylaxis can significantly reduce the risk of infection, it does not completely eliminate it.
As such, MOH reiterates its advice to avoid non-essential travel affected areas such as Melbourne and the State of Victoria in Australia, Kobe and Osaka in Japan and Chile, USA, Canada and Mexico.
For those returning from the affected areas, they should seek medical attention promptly and call 993 for an ambulance if they become unwell within seven days of their return.
They should avoid taking public transport or taxi to minimise exposure.
MOH said to date, six patients have been discharged and nine are still in hospital.
The 12th patient involved an 18-year-old Singaporean man who took the MRT in the morning of June 3 to see his GP.
MOH said its risk assessment showed that there is limited
exposure to the public as it was only a two-minute train ride from
Serangoon to Kovan.
The Health Ministry said Singaporeans need not be unduly alarmed as the
virus remains mild and all patients are stable. However, the ministry
added that this is an example that should not be followed by others.
MOH said that contact tracing for the 13th and 14th cases have been completed.
The 13th case involved a 23-year-old Singaporean man who
travelled to Melbourne from May 27 to June 3. MOH has identified 44
close contacts on the flight.
It managed to contact 18 out of the 19 passengers with entry records into Singapore.
They comprise 11 Singaporeans and seven foreigners and they have been placed under HQOs.
Their period of quarantine ends on June 11. One foreigner is uncontactable.
MOH has alerted the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to inform the
ministry if he should turn up at Singapore's checkpoints.
MOH has also informed WHO and its IHR counterparts of the 25 passengers who are out of Singapore.
For the 14th case that involved a 22-year-old Singapore Airlines
air-stewardess, MOH said it did not conduct contact tracing of flight
passengers on SQ25 flight travelling from New York to Frankfurt on the
basis that the confirmed case is unlikely to have been infectious while
onboard the plane.
She had developed symptoms more than 24 hours after disembarkation.
MOH has identified four close local contacts and they have been placed
under HQOs. Her quarantine period is from June 5 to June 11.
- CNA/vm
No community spread of H1N1 so far is an achievement for S'pore: Mr Khaw
SINGAPORE: It's been six weeks since the World Health
Organization (WHO) sounded the alert on the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak
and there's been no evidence of communal spread of the virus in
Singapore yet. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said this is an
achievement.
As the number of infected individuals remain small, he said the
Health Ministry will go all out to track every person who has been in
contact with the patients.
Speaking at the 60th anniversary celebration of medical social work
service held at Changi General Hospital on Saturday, he urged
Singaporeans to remain vigilant and practise good hygiene to keep the
virus at bay.
He said a good team of doctors from the public sector and
scientists have been assembled under the charge of Director of Medical
Services, Professor K Satku, to analyse the H1N1 influenza samples from
the 14 H1N1 patients in Singapore.
Their results will help determine if the virus in Singapore is behaving
like the H1N1 bug that has been spreading elsewhere in the world.
Mr Khaw said: "Every week that we earn without a community spread,
it is useful because vaccines will eventually be produced. You shorten
the time waiting for a vaccine, but let's be mentally prepared that
sooner or later, there will be a community spread - not only in
Singapore but all other places."
- CNA/vm
China confirms more cases of H1N1 flu
Chinese health authorities have confirmed eight more cases of Influenza A H1N1 virus, bringing total confirmed infections on the mainland to 80
Xinhua news agency reported that in Beijing, a 12-year-old Chinese boy and two foreigners tested positive for the flu
The boy studied in the United States and returned to China from Orlando last Saturday
Xinhua added that the two foreigners were disease control officials from a Southeast Asian country who were undergoing training in Beijing
Two new cases were also reported in Shanghai and one in Fuzhou
Meanwhile, two women were infected through local transmission in the southwestern province of Sichuan
There have been no reports of deaths from H1N1 virus in China.
According to the World Health Organisation, nearly 19,000 infections
have been found in 64 countries and remains most prevalent in North
America.
There've been 117 deaths.
--938Live
Cham cham...
Are we over-reacting
Each year millions of people die from common flu.
Is the link to pigs the interest to the media ?
Poll shows some Singaporeans avoid those quarantined for H1N1
SINGAPORE: A recent poll has shown that 25 per cent of
Singaporeans will avoid those who have been quarantined for the H1N1
flu, even after they have been given the all-clear.
During the height of the H1N1 global outbreak, Darren – not his real
name – was quarantined after coming into contact with someone with a
recent travel history to Mexico.
Recalling his experience, he said: "My aunt's sister, who stays next to
us, told me not to share the plates and cups, and asked me not to share
the same table... I felt annoyed, helpless and rejected."
Although Darren's quarantine ended on May 7, he remains uneasy about
his quarantine history and prefers not to disclose it to others.
"You can see from their expression that they are a bit sceptical, a
bit worried... From that reaction, it proved my view that people are
still worried about this flu," he said.
Like Darren, many of those who were on self or home quarantine have
refused to be interviewed by Channel NewsAsia, citing privacy issues.
According to sociologists, due to the fact that not much is known
about the H1N1 strain, many of them are afraid of being stigmatised by
others.
In a recent MSN poll of some 4,700 Singaporeans, a quarter said they
would avoid those who were previously quarantined, while 15 per cent of
the respondents were unsure if they should stay away because they did
not know enough about the H1N1 flu.
Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, deputy head, Department of
Sociology, National University of Singapore, said: "A lot has to do
with how well they would recover. If they recover without incident, I
don't think there would be that much public reaction to it."
Since May 11, Singapore has lowered its pandemic alert level to yellow.
Home quarantine orders are now issued to those who have had close
contact with confirmed cases of Influenza A.
Mandatory quarantine order for travellers to Singapore with a recent travel history to Mexico was lifted last month.
- CNA/so
Two new cases of H1N1 infections, total cases up to 17
Singapore has found two new cases of Influenza A H1N1, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 17.
The Health Ministry said in a statement that these are imported cases with travel history to affected areas.
The two patients have relatively mild symptoms and are in stable condition.
MOH said the 16th case is a 40-year-old male foreigner from India who works in Singapore.
He went to Melbourne in late May on a business trip and returned to Singapore on Singapore Airlines SQ238 at around 4pm on the 6th of June.
He was seated at row 45.
The man developed symptoms the next day and was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital the following day.
The 17th case is a 25-year-old Malaysian female who went on holiday in Melbourne on 21st May and developed symptoms on the 5th of June while she was there.
She returned to Singapore on Emirates EK 405 close to midnight on the 7th of June.
She was seated at row 32.
The Health Ministry says contact tracing has been initiated.
Passengers within rows 43 to 47 on SQ238 on 6 June and rows 30 to 34 on EK 405 on 7 June who have not been contacted by MOH yet should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999.
MOH advises the public to avoid non-essential travel to affected areas like Melbourne, Kobe and Osaka in Japan and the United States of America.
--938Live
Three more H1N1 patients discharged from CDC
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
Singapore confirms 18th case of H1N1 flu
SINGAPORE : Singapore has confirmed one more case of Influenza A (H1N1) flu.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 18.
The 18th case is a 36-year-old Filipino female who works in Singapore.
She returned to Singapore from Manila on Philippine Airlines PR501 at 1835 hours on June 8. She was seated at Row 6.
The woman was admitted to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) for further assessment on the afternoon of June 9.
Laboratory results confirmed her infection at 1645 hours on June 9.
She has relatively mild symptoms and is in stable condition.
The Health Ministry has started contact tracing.
Passengers within Rows 4 to 8 on PR501 on June 8 who have not been contacted should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999.
All close contacts identified will be quarantined and provided with Tamiflu.
To date, 10 patients have been discharged - the first to sixth cases and the ninth to 12th cases.
There are eight patients still in hospital and their conditions are stable.
- CNA/ms
Over 18,000 calls made to H1N1 hotline since it was activated
SINGAPORE : Over 18,000 calls - or an average of 450 calls a day
- have been made to the H1N1 hotline since it was activated in late
April.
About half are prank calls, or people who dialled the number by mistake. But what happens when there is a genuine case?
It starts with a phone call to the 993 hotline, regarding a suspected case of the H1N1 flu.
Callers are asked if they show symptoms of the flu, and if they
have recently been to one of the affected areas, or have been in close
contact with someone who has. If so, an ambulance will be despatched.
The case is routed to the designated ambulance service, and moments later, the crew spring into action.
Civic Ambulance has a fleet of 30 vehicles, of which five can be
deployed to pick up cases at any time. Another seven can be activated
at short notice, and should the need ever arise, two other ambulance
services will be roped in as well, adding a further 10 vehicles to the
pool.
The number of despatches has more than doubled since the first case
of H1N1 was reported on May 27 - from 10 to 25 a day on average.
On Monday alone, Civic Ambulance picked up over 60 cases, the
highest so far. Civic Ambulance said numbers tend to spike each time a
case is reported.
Civic Ambulance said about 70 per cent of requests come from clinics; it also ferries patients from airports.
Pritpal Singh, operations director, Civic Ambulance, said: "We had
a case where this guy was complaining that, why should he go to CDC and
get tested when he knows there is nothing wrong with him.
"And last night, we had this very funny case where this guy
actually called in, insisted to go to hospital simply because he feels
he has got too many American friends."
Each ambulance is stocked with the standard supply of stretchers
and oxygen tanks, as well as personal protection equipment such as
gowns, masks and gloves. The medics are also trained in infectious
control measures.
When the ambulance reaches a housing estate, for example, the lights
and siren are switched off. The driver and medic suit up in protective
gear, and patients are asked to meet them at the void deck. The point
is to be as discreet as they can.
Mr Singh said: "When people get frightened, they all start to call
in thinking they are sick. We had a very similar instance like this
during SARS when people started to panic. And people called 993 and
everybody wanted to go to hospital."
On the way to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), windows are
kept open to minimise the spread of viruses. At the CDC, the patient
will undergo tests which will take several hours.
- CNA/ms
MOH to refer suspected H1N1 cases under 16 and pregnant women to KKH
Starting tomorrow, the Health Ministry will be administering a new procedure for all suspected cases of Influenza-A H-1-N-1 involving children and pregnant women.
Children under the age of 16 years and pregnant women beyond 24 weeks gestation will be referred directly to the Children's Emergency at K-K Hospital via the 993 ambulance.
In situations where both parent and child are suspected H-1-N-1 cases, they will be referred to K-K Hospital together.
This will allow the patients to receive timely paediatric and obstetric care by the medical teams on duty at the Children's Emergency unit.
Separately, two more H-1-N-1 patients have been discharged from the C-D-C.
The Health Ministry says this brings the total number of discharged patients to 12.
The remaining 6 still at the CDC are in stable condition.
--938Live
S'pore confirms 3 new cases of H1N1
Singapore has confirmed three more cases of H1N1, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 21.
The 19th case is a 21-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident who is studying in Melbourne.
She returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ238 on Tuesday at 4.15pm.
She was seated at row 46.
The 20th case is a 17-year-old Singaporean.
He returned to Singapore from Los Angeles via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific Airways CX717 on 7th June at 1230pm.
He was seated at row 38.
The 21st case is a 21-year-old Indonesian studying in Australia.
He came to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ228 on 9th June at 10pm.
He was seated at row 47.
Contact tracing has been initiated for the three new confirmed cases.
In relation to the 19th and 21st case, the Health Ministry says that those seated between rows 44 and 48 on SQ238 on 9th June and passengers seated between 45 and 49 on SQ228 also on 9th June should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333-9999, if they've not been contacted.
But for the 20th case, MOH has assessed that no flight passengers on board CX717 needs to be quarantined as the man was unlikely to be infectious during the flight.
He developed symptoms more than 24 hours after disembarkation.
To date, 13 patients have been discharged from hospital.
The rest are still in hospital and their conditions remain stable.
--938Live
WHO gets ready to declare a H1N1 flu pandemic
The World Health Organization plans to hold an emergency meeting in Geneva later today, on whether to declare a global flu pandemic
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl says the world health body will consult with its emergency committee of flu experts on the matter
The meeting comes a day after WHO chief Margaret Chan held a teleconference with representatives of countries worst hit by the H1N1 flu to assess if there was undisputable evidence of local spread of the virus.
So far the WHO has left its six-level pandemic alert scale unchanged at phase five -- signalling that a pandemic is "imminent."
But if it determines that there are sustained local transmissions
outside the United States, it could raise the alert to six --
suggesting a full-blown pandemic.
Nations such as Australia, Britain, Chile and Japan are reporting growing numbers of infections
And they're being watched carefully as they are outside the Americas, where the H1N1 flu was first detected in April.
The WH-O has put the number of H1N1 infections at around 27 thousand in 74 countries
The figure includes 141 deaths.
--938Live
Changing tact in dealing with H1N1
In the event of a major community spread of the H1N1 virus, Singapore will move from a containment strategy to one of mitigation.
This means suspected cases may not be screened at Tan Tock Seng Hospital but by General Practitioners too.
Claire Huang reports.
With the World Health Organisation moving closer to raising a level six global pandemic, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan says Singapore and other countries cannot remain in a containment mode.
He says a community spread of the virus is inevitable, and when it does happen here, Singapore has to change tact.
"I think the significance of upgrade by WHO to level 6 will mean that increasingly countries will no longer play containment strategy. We are in containment mode, containment means protect the borders and try to stop spreading, but once it's into level six, I think more and more countries will have to go into what we call mitigation phase. Mitigation phase means the emphasis will then shift from stopping spreading to looking after patients who are infected."
People suspected of H1N1 may then be able to go to their GPs for a swab test to determine if they do have the virus.
They will then head home and remain home until they get their test results.
Currently, suspected H1N1 cases are referred to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and they may have to wait several hours before getting their test results.
Mr Khaw adds that MOH is still in discussion with doctors on the protocol.
"They must be confident themselves, that we are not, risking unnecessarily by letting these suspects go home. So once they're confident, then yes, I think we can. I like to think that we can trust our Singaporeans, because judging by the 18 patients we've had, they've been quite responsible."
When Singapore moves into a mitigation phase, Mr Khaw says contact tracing will be done away with and laboratory capabilities of other hospitals ramped up.
This is to supplement Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s capability.
For now, Mr Khaw says his ministry will continue to enforce the containment strategy.
Speaking at the sidelines of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between his ministry and three Voluntary Welfare Organisations, Mr Khaw adds that the government will consider buying vaccines in batches.
--938Live
Shorter wait for H1N1 test results at TTSH
SINGAPORE: Those who are sent for H1N1 testing at Tan Tock Seng
Hospital (TTSH) now have a shorter wait for their test results, thanks
to laboratory staff who are now working in several shifts round the
clock and some newly-acquired equipment.
Waiting for H1N1 test results at TTSH used to take up to 10 hours.
This was because once a nose and throat swab sample was tested positive
for the H1N1 flu virus, samples were sent to the National Public Health
Laboratory for verification. This measure has since been eliminated, as
the hospital's results proved it was an unnecessary step.
In addition, because of the sensitive nature of the test for H1N1 flu virus, great care also has to be taken in its execution.
The hospital says samples have to be labelled, packed and
transported to the laboratory. Once the samples arrive, they have to be
unpacked and checked carefully for correct labelling, and to make sure
that the samples are acceptable, before they are keyed into the
computer system.
Samples first have to be neutralised to make them safe for the
staff to handle, before being manually taken out one by one, and mixed
with other reagents. Only then is the batch subjected to the actual
test itself.
According to TTSH, it takes about three to four hours to process
one sample. But because of the sheer volume of samples tested and the
processing work that goes into each test, it usually takes up to five
to six hours to obtain results.
To facilitate testing efficiency, TTSH has acquired new equipment
capable of conducting a larger volume of tests than could be done
manually.
TTSH will also train more staff to conduct the tests, so that there will be enough people to work through the night.
While this does not shorten actual testing time, it means that TTSH
is able to conduct a larger volume of tests at one time, 24 hours a
day, and thus minimising patients' waiting time.
Senior consultant at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, TTSH,
Timothy Barkham, said: "One of the biggest issues has been that we
haven't had enough staff to run 24 hours a day. But we're changing
that. And that will mean people who previously had to wait for their
samples to be run the next morning, are going to have them being run
throughout the night."
Dr Barkham added that each test requires careful and particular work.
Any mistake can ruin the whole run and the several-hour-long process
will have to be repeated.
The molecular tests used at TTSH detect all Influenza A and B flu
viruses. The tests were developed in collaboration with researchers
such as Li Jingguang who works at TTSH's laboratory under a special
Ministry of Health grant to improve Singapore's capability in dealing
with respiratory disease outbreaks. TTSH also has been collaborating
with Masafumi Inoue from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
since the SARS outbreak in 2003.
- CNA/yt
Nations say they are ready for H1N1 pandemic
Officials around the world have called for caution, saying that preventative measures and vigilance will be the best way to halt the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.
It comes after the World Health Organisation declared the world's first global flu pandemic in 40 years.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says his country - the fifth most affected by H1N1 flu - is ready to tackle the virus.
His government has opted not to raise the national flu alert level.
In the United States -- which accounts for nearly half of all cases worldwide -- officials also said Washington is ready to tackle the virus.
.In Mexico, the epicentre of the H1N1 outbreak and where the vast majority of deaths have occurred, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said the virus is under control.
Officials in India, Indonesia and Japan say their countries have taken precautions and will remain vigilant against a possible second wave of flu infections.
--938Live
Singapore confirms 6 more H1N1 cases bringing total to 27 so far
SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed six more H1N1 flu cases. Five of them are children between the ages of three and 15.
Two of them, aged six and seven, are Australian siblings from Melbourne, travelling in a family of five on holiday.
The sixth case is the mother of the three-year-old boy, both of whom are Singaporeans.
The mother and son had gone to Melbourne on holiday on June 3. Another
boy, a 12-year-old Singaporean studying in Melbourne returned via Perth
on a Tiger Airways flight at 2am on June 8. He later developed symptoms
on the evening of June 10.
All travellers had arrived from Melbourne since June 8, except the
15-year-old boy who's a Singaporean studying in the United States.
These cases bring the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 27.
The Health Ministry has initiated contact tracing for all six cases on the following flights:
- Row 51 to 55 on Qantas Airways QF9 from Melbourne touching down at 21:15 hours on June 11,
- Row 30 to 34 on Japan Airlines JL711 from San Francisco via Tokyo, arriving at 00:30 hours on June 11,
- Row 31 to 35 on Singapore Airlines SQ228 from Melbourne at 21:40 hours on June 9.
Those who have not been contacted by the Health Ministry yet should call its hotline at 1800-333-9999.
The ministry said that two patients, the eighth and 16th cases have
been discharged, bringing the total number of discharged patients to
15.
The remaining 12 patients - the 15th and the 17th to 27th cases - are
still in hospital and are in stable condition.
- CNA/vm
song bo
Singapore has seven new confirmed cases of H1N1
Singapore has confirmed seven more cases of the H1N1 flu, bringing the total number of confirmed cases here to 34.
All of the 34 cases, except one who was a close contact of a confirmed case, are imported cases with a travel history.
The 28th to 31st cases are related to the 26th and 27th cases of a mother and son who had returned to Singapore on 9th June after attending a wedding in Melbourne.
These cases had all attended the same wedding in Melbourne, but had returned to Singapore on separate flights.
The 28th and 29th case, a 52-year-old Singaporean man and a 42-year-old woman, had returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ228 at 9.40pm on 9th June.
They were seated at row 37.
Their 16-year-old daughter, who's the 30th case, had returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Emirates EK405 at 11.50pm on 9th June.
She was seated at row 49.
The 31st case is a 17-year-old Singaporean girl who had returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ 228 at 9.40pm on 9th June.
She was seated at row 62.
The 32nd case is a 28-year-old Singaporean man who returned to Singapore from Montreal via New York and Tokyo on Japanese Airlines JL711 at 12.30am on 11th June.
He was on the same flight as the 25th case.
The 33rd case is a 32-year-old Singaporean woman who returned to Singapore from Phuket on Tiger Airways TR155 at 11pm on 5th June.
As Thailand is not on the list of affected countries, she was discharged from Tan Tock Seng Hospital's emergency department with four days of medical leave on 12th June when she sought medical attention.
But the next day, laboratory results confirmed her infection and she was admitted to Communicable Disease Centre 2 at night.
The 34th case is a 6-year-old Australian female who came to Singapore from Melbourne with her mother on Emirates EK405 at 11.50pm on 12th June for a holiday.
She was seated at row 28.
Contact tracing has been initiated for the seven new confirmed cases.
Given these recent cases, the Health Ministry would like to again remind travellers from infected areas to consult a doctor there as soon as possible if they feel unwell.
They are also advised to refrain from travelling if they have symptoms within 24 hours of their planned departure.
And for those who have recently travelled to affected countries, they are advised to stay at home if unwell, and not go about their usual activities such as going to school, shopping or work.
MOH says doing so will significantly increase the risk of causing a community spread in Singapore.
So far, 17 of the 34 H1-N1 patients here have been discharged from hospital.
The rest remain in a stable condition.
--938Live
edited due to advertising..
Singapore confirms 6 more H1N1 flu cases, bringing total to 40
SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed another six cases of the H1N1 flu, bringing the total to 40.
Three of them are children, aged seven to nine.
One of them, a nine-year-old Malaysian boy, had gone to Sydney and Melbourne before coming here for a holiday.
He had developed symptoms while onboard a Jetstar flight (JQ61) from Melbourne (via Darwin) on June 13. He was seated at row 17.
Another child, a seven-year-old girl from Australia, also flew in from
Melbourne on Saturday, on Singapore Airlines SQ228 at 21:32 hours. She
was seated at row 60.
The third child, an eight-year-old Singapore permanent resident,
had gone to the Philippines for a family visit on May 30, and returned
on Saturday. Her mother, who was with her, has also been admitted.
Both had boarded Singapore Airlines flight SQ915 on June 13 and
were seated at row 38 and 39. The mother had developed symptoms before
boarding, while the girl became ill during the flight. All four cases
were picked up by airport thermal scanners and were sent to the
Communicable Disease Centre on 993 ambulances.
The fifth case is a 24-year-old Singaporean off-duty air stewardess
who had flown in from Frankfurt on Singapore Airlines SQ25 on June 12,
sitting in row 38.
She had developed symptoms while in Frankfurt, but was given the
all-clear to fly by a German doctor. Upon arrival in Singapore, she
went to a clinic at Changi Airport and was sent to the Communicable
Disease Centre via 993 ambulance on the morning of June 14.
The final case is a 19-year-old Singaporean, returning from his holiday in Melbourne on June 12.
He had arrived in Melbourne on June 7 and developed symptoms the
next day. Upon return to Singapore on SQ238, row 43, he was not
detected by airport thermal scanners as he was not feverish then and
stayed at home. He was later sent to the CDC via 993 ambulance on the
night of June 12
Of the 40 cases so far, 19 had travelled to Melbourne, and another 14 had come from the US.
The Health Ministry (MOH) has initiated contact tracing for all six patients.
It reminds travellers to refrain from travelling should they have
symptoms within 24 hours of their planned departure and to consult a
doctor.
- CNA/yt