As four children confirmed with the influenza infection AH1N1 and several more suspected cases were isolated at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) at Angoda, both national and international health authorities urged the public not to panic but be alert, assuring that systems were in place in Sri Lanka to face this pandemic.
Don’t panic, don’t over react. Take precautions not to catch the virus. Be alert because, though AH1N1 is not as deadly as Avian flu, the need is to be vigilant for any signs of the virus re-assorting or mutating and becoming virulent.
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| Arriving passengers filling out the declaration forms at the BIA |
This was the strong message coming from the health authorities and the Sunday Times understands that the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the disease to Level 6 or pandemic level not because of the severity of the disease but because of its scope to spread.
A comparison of the two influenzas which have hit the world in recent times clearly indicates that the deadly Avian influenza case fatalities (deaths) were very high, above 50%, while AH1N1 has only 0.4% case fatalities.
“We are prepared for AH1N1,” stressed the Deputy Director-General (DDG) of Public Health Services Dr. Palitha Mahipala of the Health Ministry, explaining that screening at the airport has been further strengthened. Isolation facilities for those suspected to have contracted the disease have been enhanced and adequate stocks of drugs for its treatment imported while laboratory facilities to test and confirm the disease are also in place.
From last Friday, we are screening all passengers disembarking at the airport, although earlier we screened only those coming from disease-affected countries, he said, adding that the health-desk is manned by 40 Public Health Inspectors, on a roster- basis, with a doctor being present as well. The two thermal scanners are functioning but those scanners will detect only those who have fever when they pass through them. The passengers have to fill health declaration forms while they are also issued a detailed leaflet on the signs and symptoms of the disease, how to prevent not only catching it but also giving it to others and most importantly whom to contact for more information.
“We have given a few instructions to medical practitioners too on what to do if someone with fever comes to them,” said Dr. Mahipala.
When asked about passenger complaints of delays, he said that there could be some congestion when many flights come at the same time. But more PHIs are then deployed to ease the pressure.
Even two weeks ago three people were detected with fever and sent to the IDH as suspect cases but the tests for AH1N1 came negative and they were discharged. This indicates that our systems are working, he said.
Now the Immigration Department counters too have been taken into the loop, and immigration officers will not allow a passenger through, if his/her copy of the health form does not have a seal from the health-desk, it is learnt. “This is to prevent people unknowingly passing through without reporting at the health-desk,” said the DDG.
Once screened, people suspected to be having AH1N1 will be sent to the IDH, which has 20 isolation rooms and two step-down wards. The IDH can accommodate 50 patients. Another 20 major hospitals have also been designated to have isolation wards of which 11 are ready. The hospital staff is trained and protective gear provided as well as stocks of drugs, both paediatric and adult, imported through the WHO and by the Government directly, the Sunday Times understands.
The Medical Research Institute has the facilities to test the nasal and throat swabs for the AH1N1 virus, to get lab-confirmed results. The virologists and other staff have also being trained, equipment provided and re-agents supplied. “So there is no need to send specimens abroad for confirmation,” said Dr. Mahipala.
Meanwhile, with regard to the flight from Singapore which brought the first AH1N1-affected children to Sri Lanka, he said that all 181 passengers have been traced by the PHIs in different parts of the country, through the health declaration forms and also flight lists.
Death toll 167
There were 39,620 lab-confirmed cases of AH1N1 from 88 countries as of June 17, said WHO’s Acting Representative in Sri Lanka, Dr. Firdosi Mehta, giving the global picture. So far there have been 167 deaths, occurring mainly in the Americas but with one death being reported from the United Kingdom.
Explaining the meaning of pandemic, he says, ‘pan’ means whole and ‘demic’ means epidemic, so it means ‘global epidemic’ . Putting AH1N1 at Level 6 doesn’t refer to the severity of the disease, only to its scope.
It’s a type of flu – but we must not let our guard down. We need to be mindful of how the virus will behave in the future because it could re-assort or mutate and become more severe, he added.
It’s Pandemic
H1N1 2009
When it surfaced earlier this year, it was called “swine flu”. This misnomer came about due to the fact that of the four components – American swine flu, Eurasian swine flu, human flu and North American avian flu -- of H1N1, two were “swine”.
This led to food and trade bans in the mistaken belief that people could contract “swine flu” by eating pork products. Later there was a name-change to ‘Novel or New AH1N1’. |
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