Biomed Middle East

H1N1 count reaches 50

Fifty cases of H1N1 influenza have been recorded in the Kingdom since the strand re-emerged earlier this month, according to a health ministry statement issued on Sunday.

The statement said 17 patients have recovered from the disease after receiving treatment, while 14 are currently being treated at home and 15 others remain hospitalised, one of them in critical condition.

No new H1N1 influenza-related deaths were reported, the ministry said.

Since its re-emergence on December 11, H1N1 flu has claimed the lives of four people in the country, prompting health authorities to implement a nationwide plan prepared by the National Committee for the Prevention of Epidemics and issue weekly updates on the disease.

Under the current treatment protocol, H1N1 patients who exhibit mild symptoms and do not fall under high risk categories are treated at home without anti-viral or medical tests and go unreported, according to the ministry.

Those who suffer from chronic diseases, pregnant women, children and the elderly fall under the higher risk category.

Sufficient quantities of Tamiflu, the anti-viral medicine prescribed for the treatment of H1N1, are available, according to the ministry.

Last year, 3,049 H1N1 cases were registered in the Kingdom with 16 swine flu-related fatalities. Over 45,000 people have been inoculated against the H1N1 virus since November 2009.

To curb any potential outbreak of H1N1, the ministry has urged people to take precautionary measures such as keeping their hands clean and washing them immediately after shaking hands, in addition to covering their mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

Jordan Times

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