MORE THAN 99 PER CENT OF H1N1 PATIENTS IN MALAYSIA HAVE RECOVERED

PETALING JAYA, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Despite public concern on the dangers of
the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, 99.2 per cent of the 9,257 patients who have
been confirmed infected by the virus have recovered, Disease Control director
Dr Hassan Abdul Rahman said Tuesday.

He said it showed that patients infected with the virus could recover if
they received early treatment.

"Majority of the patients who tested positive for H1N1 in the country have
recovered after receiving treatment.

"Therefore, do not take lightly if one has symptoms of H1N1, even if it's
only a slight cough, " he told reporters after a media briefing on Influenza A
(H1N1) here Tuesday.

On the number of deaths due to H1N1, he said, it remained at 73 for the
fifth consecutive day.

Until Aug 31, Johor recorded the highest number of death with 13 out of
the 855 confirmed H1N1 cases.

The highest number of H1N1 cases is reported in Selangor, totalling 1,868
people with eight deaths.

Dr Hassan said most of the deaths involving H1N1 cases involved patients in
the age group of between 15 and 29, with 19 deaths, followed by 12 cases each in
the 30 to 44 and 45 to 59 age groups.

Meanwhile, Sungai Buloh Hospital infectious diseases head and senior
consultant physician, Dr Christopher Lee said not all patients with suspected
infection needed to be seen by a health provider.

He said even for most people, the symptoms appeared to be mild and
self-limiting.

"A minority of people with H1N1 have had severe illness with
complications,
and many, but not all, have underlying risk factors are likely to have
contributed to the severity of the condition," he said.

According to Dr Lee, the majority of H1N1 cases in Sungai Buloh Hospital
were from rural areas resided by elderly and less educated people.

He said the government would have to think of a way to reach out to these
groups who did not read newspapers or use the Internet.

-- BERNAMA