Friday, July 3, 2009

Thailand confirms one more A(H1N1) virus fatality

[Well, he could not have been that sick if the Doctor mistook his ailments for Tonsilitis. He had been sick at this point for 8 days. Somewhere between his 8th and 10th day, he went downhill, and was hospitalized, dying one day later, a severe lung infection.

The Doctor must have missed it.]

BANGKOK, July 3 (TNA) Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) confirmed Friday one more fatality from influenza A(H1N1), raising the country's death toll from the new virus strain to six.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health Prat Boonyawongvirot told reporters that the sixth victim was a 30-year old man who worked as a day labourer.

He visited a doctor at a Bangna hospital last Sunday (June 28) after showing flu-like symptoms since June 20.

The diagnosis showed him to be suffering from tonsilitis and was given medication by the doctor before he went home for recovery.

However, instead of getting better his symptoms worsened and he was admitted to hospital on Tuesday (June 30).

The doctor found that the patient experienced severe lung infection and died on July 1.

Dr. Prat explained that the death report was delayed because he was not in the MOPH list of influenza A(H1N1) victims and needed laboratory confirmation on July 2 before the announcement.

He said the victim was considered overweight at 123 kg and 165 cm height.

According to his medical record, doctors did not prescribe the anti-viral Oseltamivir to the patient as they had been trying to save his life from lung infection.

Meanwhile, Dr. Prasert Thongcharoen, president of the Virology Association (Thailand) said the ministry expected the outbreak of virus would last around one year and one million people could contract the influenza.

The virus was expected to spread into provinces within six months, he added.

Dr. Prasert, who also heads the ministry's Medical and Public Health Technical and Strategy Advisory panel on A(H1N1) influenza, said the country must wait for another six months before the arrival of vaccine.

Earlier on Friday, Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbodhi reported 154 new Influenza A(H1N1) cases.

The new infections reported on the day raised the country’s total number of persons diagnosed with H1N1 to 1,760.

Twenty of the new flu patients remain in hospital. Of this number, one patient in Chonburi was being closely monitored as the patient’s condition was worrying. (TNA)
hat-tip Shiloh

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