A death with flu is a death of flu.
Jamie
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H1N1 flu claims 108 lives in first eight months
Aung Phay Kyi Soe
Myanmar Times
4 September 2019
Seasonal Influenza A (H1N1) has killed 108 people so far this year, and 648 people are being treated for the virus across the country, the Ministry of Health and Sports said on Monday.
The Public Health Department’s Central Epidemiology Unit said in a statement there were 68 fatalities from H1N1 in Yangon, 13 in Ayeyarwady Region, 10 in Bago Region, four each in Magwe and Sagaing regions, three in Mon State, two in Rakhine State, and one each in Kachin, Shan, Mandalay and Tanintharyi regions.
Most of the victims in Yangon, 5, lived in South Dagon township, which reported 27 H1N1 cases. Hlaing Tharyar township reported six deaths and 20 cases, according to the National Health Laboratory.
“Although the number of cases of seasonal influenza in Yangon has declined, the public should not be negligent,” said Dr Ye Linn Naing, assistant director of the regional Health Department.
“We have conducted public awareness drives in communities across the region,” he added. “We have inoculated high-risk people with flu vaccines.”
He called on the public to heed the ministry’s announcements about the dangers of the flu.
Health officials said that in 2017, 38 people died of H1N1, while 406 people were treated at government hospitals for the virus. There were no deaths due to H1N1 last year.
Eighty-six of the flu deaths were related to conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease, according to the Central Epidemiology Unit and National Health Laboratory. Another 13 deaths were among high-risk people, such as those under five years old or over 65, while nine deaths were attributable to H1N1.
Of the patients confirmed to have suffered H1N1, 56 percent were aged 15 to 65, 15pc were aged one to five years old, 9 pc were over 65, 13pc were between five and 15, and 7pc were less than a year old.
H1N1 is an acute respiratory infection caused by viruses that circulate in all parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization.
July to September is the influenza season in Myanmar, coinciding with the monsoon. The virus spreads from one person to another through fine droplets when people cough or sneeze, or through direct contact.
The WHO recommends seasonal influenza vaccinations for high-risk groups such as pregnant women and children aged six months to five years, the elderly, individuals with specific chronic medical conditions, healthcare workers and laboratory workers.
Symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever above 38 Celsius, coughing, headaches, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, and a runny nose. Most people recover from the fever and other symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention.
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/h1n1-flu-claims-108-lives-first-eight-months.html
