H1N1 cases hit 428; 339 patients recover

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday 36 new cases of Influenza A(H1N1), including a two-year-old child.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the new cases, which are all mild in nature, brought to 428 the total number of A(H1N1) in the country.

Duque stressed that 339 or 79 percent of the total confirmed cases since May 21 have fully recovered.

He said the 36 new mild cases involved 15 males and 21 females with ages ranging from 2 to 59 years old.

Duque said 34 of the new patients are Filipinos, while the remaining two are foreigners.

He said that six of the new cases have a history of travel to a country affected with the virus.

“All of these new patients are responding positively to their treatments,” he said.

Duque reminded the public that the simplest ways to avoid getting the flu include the washing of hands thoroughly and to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

The World Health Organization, on the other hand, reported that as of June 19, there are 44,287 cases of H1N1 cases worldwide with 180 deaths from 90 countries.

Meanwhile, Cainta Mayor Mon Ilagan and local school authorities suspended classes for 10 days at the Karangalan Elementary School starting today after two of its students were found positive for A(H1N1).

There are 43 students in the school.

Ilagan issued his order after the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) confirmed that the two students have the flu virus. — With Non Alquitran