Of the 29 lab-confirmed H1N1 patients in T&T, 25 have been treated by doctors and discharged.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Chief Medical Officer Clive Tilluckdharry said the chances of a normal healthy person getting the H1N1 virus was low and got even lower for fatalities.
“We have about 4,000 cases of the flu every year. For this year, so far, 29 cases have been lab-confirmed as H1N1.”
Tilluckdharry said those people were treated by their doctors and were back to good health.
“They are home. These are the lab samples being sent from various doctors and they were treated,” he added.
Of the 29 lab-confirmed cases, the majority had co-morbiditys, meaning pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, cancer and other chronic illnesses, which affect the immune system
“Of that group, one in four or five people will get symptoms, less than two per cent will be hospitalised. He said the statistics were similar to dengue fever even though the viruses were fundamentally different as H1N1 attacks the respiratory system.
“People won’t always know they have it. It would start off like a normal flu and what they would need to do as with any flu is to drink lots of liquids, rest and take the appropriate flu medication.”
He encouraged people in the at-risk groups, medical workers, the elderly, children and pregnant women, to get vaccinated.
Asked about the skepticism shown by nurses toward the vaccine, Tilluckdharry said he couldn’t explain it.
“I, myself took the vaccine so I don’t know what the problem is,” he said.
On Friday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh had said three people had died from the virus.
Yesterday Medical Chief of Staff at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Dr Andy Bhagwandass, revealed that a fourth person, Stacy Ramkissoon, 28, was confirmed of having H1N1 but a post-mortem scheduled for today would reveal her official cause of death.
Ramkissoon who delivered a baby via a Caesaraean section died on Saturday at the health institution.
In a release yesterday, the Ministry of Health reminded citizens that influenza could cause severe illness in some people, including the elderly, infants, young children and pregnant women as well as those with chronic medical conditions, such as heart, lung, kidney disease and diabetes.
It said safe and effective vaccines that could prevent influenza or reduce the severity of illness were available at local health centres.
“Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious complications of influenza and for people who live with or care for high risk individuals. After vaccination, persons still ought to take preventative measures to reduce the spread of viruses,” it added.
Prevention tips
Influenza can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes and droplets containing viruses get into the air and are inhaled by persons nearby.
Persons can also become infected by touching surfaces (doorknobs, desks etc.) contaminated with flu viruses and then touching their eyes, mouth or nose.
To prevent the spread of infectious diseases like influenza, the public is urged to:
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Doing so into the crook of your elbow is also acceptable.
• Wash hands with soap and water regularly.
• Avoid close contact with people who have flu like symptoms.
• If you have symptoms of the flu, seek immediate medical attention if you have difficulty breathing, chest tightness, the inability to eat or drink, persistent vomiting or confusion.