A(H1N1) in Sarawak! and I was one of the suspects....

A(H1N1) in Sarawak! By Irene C
First swine flu case confirmed in student home after sitting for exam in Melbourne, Australia
KUCHING: Sarawak yesterday recorded its first confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) in a 23-year-old university student.
The local male student, who tested positive for the virus yesterday afternoon, had arrived here on Friday after sitting for an examination in Melbourne, Australia.
He was admitted at the Sarawak General Hospital’s isolation ward on Sunday after complaining of fever and cough. Four of his family members have also been quarantined.
In confirming the case yesterday, State Disaster Relief Committee chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan advised all those onboard the same aircraft as the student to impose self-quarantine and contact the Health Department as soon as possible.
“If you’re in the Melbourne-KL flight or the connecting flight from KL to Kuching on Friday, impose self-quarantine and contact the Health Department quickly,” Dr Chan said.
The student reached Kuala Lumpur at 6.15am from Melbourne onboard aircraft MH 128 and his connecting flight here, MH2504, arrived at 10.15am. He was seated at 30J onboard MH128 and at 11H on MH2504.
Environment and Public Health Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, meanwhile, said the student’s condition was stable.
He said the health authorities were tracking down persons who have come into contact with the student since he returned from Australia and they were likely to be quarantined.
“It’s unfortunate that Sarawak has fallen to the virus too. We were safe when many states had already had cases,” said Wong.
Wong also revealed that at noon yesterday, a young man who was returning to Kuching from Australia via Singapore was admitted at the Influenza A(H1N1) isolation ward at SGH after he was found to have high temperature at the Kuching International Airport .
However, he said results of the tests on the young man would only be known today.
Having said that, Wong emphasised that it was now very important for people to be vigilant, practise high level of hygiene and be self disciplined.
“If you have symptoms of flu, you should immediately isolate yourself and seek medical treatment so that you do not pass the virus to other people. Self quarantine should be done,” he said.
On a related development, he said he had read of complaints in the newspaper about the “unsightly barricade” around the isolation ward at SGH. He said the barricade was necessary.
He explained that although the hospital had put up huge signs warning people to stay clear of the isolation ward, it was largely ignored.
“The barricades, though unsightly, serves a practical purpose,” said Wong.
The first suspected case for the virus here was on May 4, where a 31-year-old man who was in the United States of America the previous week was admitted into the isolation ward specially set up for the A(H1N1) virus at the SGH.
The man was admitted after complaining of sore throat, cough and shortness of breath. He was tested negative and since then there have been several others who were admitted but were also clear of the virus.
As of Sunday, there were seven new cases reported, bringing the total number of cases to 49 in the country, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
According to Liow, one of the cases involved a Year Five pupil of SRJK (C) Jalan Davidson who was a classmate of an 11-year-old girl who had tested positive after returning from holiday with her family in Melbourne.
This showed that the school has two confirmed cases, he said.
Liow said that of the seven, six were ‘imported’ cases involving two from Melbourne, two from United States, one each from Toronto and Thailand.

Search for 132 on flight MH2504 By Irene C
24TH JUNE 2009 WEDNESDAY
A(H1N1) positive passenger on KL-Kuching route prompts frantic search for rest of passengers
KUCHING: The Sarawak Health Department is anxious to locate all the 132 passengers on board flight MH2504 from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching on June 19, in which one of the passengers was confirmed to have Influenza A(H1N1).
“On top of the list are 13 of 28 passengers who sat three rows in front and three rows behind the victim, based on recommendation from the World Health Organisation for immediate home isolation,” said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan at a press conference in his office yesterday.
He added: “We have been trying to trace 28 passengers who were on the same flight and as of today (yesterday), we have traced 15 of them.”
According to him, of the 15 who have been traced, four are from Kuching, two from Kuala Lumpur, seven from Selangor and one each from Kedah and Pahang. Except for those from Kuching, the other 11 have gone back to their places of origin.
He added that there were also 11 crew members on flight MH2504, and all efforts are being made to trace all the 132 passengers.
Towards this end, Dr Chan advised those passengers on board the flight to call the operations room at 082-248316 immediately.
They need to be self-quarantined and to inform the Health Department immediately, he said.
The first Sarawak case is a 23-year-old local male student who came back for the holidays from his university in Melbourne, Australia and not from a local university here as reported yesterday.
He arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 6.15am on June 19 onboard MH 128 and Kuching on his connecting flight MH2504 at 10.15am. He was seated at 11H on MH 2504, according to Dr Chan.
“On June 21, he sought medical treatment at Sarawak General Hospital’s Emergency and Accident Department at 10am and was admitted to the isolation ward at noon.”
He added that the student’s parents, brother and a friend were quarantined at home on the same day.
Dr Chan, who is also the State Disaster Relief Committee chairman, said that for those who have since returned to their hometowns, the respective states have been notified of the name list of those who were on the same flight.
The four passengers from Kuching who have been traced are being home quarantined and should they develop fever, will be put straight into the isolation ward.
When asked on the student’s condition, Dr Chan said that he was recovering.
“We are also questioning him on the persons he had come into contact with during the three days.”
On the treatment used for the virus, Dr Chan said the patient was given flu tablets and supplements to boost his resistance.
“We are also asking those who have been contacted to follow our advice. All precautions have been taken and we are trying to stop local spread of the virus. We are in control, not the virus,” he said.
“We need the cooperation of everyone and if you have any information, please do your social duty and contact us. If you are not careful, you might spread it to your own families and loved ones.”
He also told the media members present that 473,019 people had filled forms and underwent temperature tests at various entry points in the state since May. Of the number, 61,404 were flight crew members and 411,615 were airline passengers.
When asked to shed light on rumours that some schools in the state were closed due to the virus, Dr Chan said it was not true, adding that contrary to some reports, the victim is not studying in Swinburne Sarawak.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Health Department director Dr Mohd Kamil Hassan said the SGH isolation ward presently has four beds but can be increased to 36 beds if the need arise.
“We have designated the staff to take care of the patients. We also have protective equipment like masks. If the situation worsens, we will open up another isolation ward at Hospital Sentosa in Mile 7,” said Dr Kamil.

Thursday, June 25th, 2009


Second A (H1N1) case in Sarawak By Puvaneswary Devindran
Australian woman, 26, admitted to SGH isolation ward on June 22 tests positive
KUCHING: Sarawak confirmed its second case of Influenza A (H1N1) yesterday, and the patient is a 26-year-old Australian woman.
The woman was admitted to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) isolation ward on June 22 and tested positive yesterday.
It is learnt from a report faxed from the state Health Department to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan’s office yesterday the patient was screened at Kuching International Airport and was detected to have fever an d cough before she was admitted to SGH.
She had travelled from Darwin, Australia to Singapore on flight JQ61 on June 20 before arriving here on JetStar flight 3K529 on June 22.
She was seated on seat number 7C on JQ61 and 5C on 3K529.
The department said there were 26 other passengers on board the flight and as of now, 18 passengers had been contacted and quarantined at home.
Thirteen of them are here, two in Miri while the other three are in Singapore.
The rest are still in the process of being contacted.
So far, the patient is said to be in a stable condition with no shortness of breath and having no sign of pneumonia.
Dr Chan, who is State Disaster Relief Committee chairman, confirmed the case after a telephone call to the state director of Health director Dr Mohd Kamil Hassan.
The state recorded its first case of Influenza A (H1N1) in a 23-year-old local male university student on June 22 after he came back from Melbourne, Australia for a break.
He was admitted to the SGH isolation ward on Sunday after complaining of fever and cough while three of his family members and a friend were quarantined.
Dr Chan, meanwhile, said the male student was doing fine and as of Tuesday, the Health Department had managed to locate 15 others who were on the same flight with the student and was confident that the department would have tracked down more yesterday.
He also said for now, the state had yet to receive any directive from the federal government to have students coming from countries such as the Philippines, United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia, to be self-quarantined for seven days.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed on this, and what we are afraid of most is the virus being spread locally.
“Once you get a local spread, then we will get into trouble,” he said.
He was asked to comment on news reports which quoted director-general of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican advising students from several countries to undergo self-quarantine for seven days and keep away from school.
Environment and Public Health Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh called on the people to cooperate with the health authorities and be self-disciplined.
“If you are asked to be quarantined, please do so for your own good and for the sake of others as well,” he said.
He said the authorities for now could only persuade those who came in contact with the confirmed cases.
He said they could not bring the police into the matter unless the quarantine was taking place in the hospital, which would not be possible.