Kuala Lumpur: Seven more people died of swine flu taking the death toll in Malaysia due to the deadly H1N1 virus to 51, a health official said on Thursday.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the seven deaths were from the high-risk group who had high blood pressure, heart disease, low immunity or congenital disease.
They were aged between four months and 92 years old.
"Currently, there are 51 cases in the wards, 29 in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and 16 out of the 29 in ICUs are from the high risk group," he told reporters here.
Liow said patients with influenza-like symptoms and heart problems, those with persistent high fever for more than two days and those tested positive for Influenza A or B through rapid test would be given antiviral treatment immediately.
He called on the people not to panic because 98 percent of those who contracted the disease have already recovered.
The worry is the high-risk group which needs immediate treatment if they show any of the H1N1 symptoms, he added. Liow noted the current situation, though serious due to an increase in fatalities but did not warrant government declaring a health emergency.
"To declare a health emergency, I have to quarantine the community whereby the government must curb the people`s movements. We have not reached that stage yet."
The school authorities have been asked by the Ministry to closely monitor the students and send the sick ones home to rest. Meanwhile, the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, will be sold at all 1,800 pharmacies nationwide.
Some 6,000 pharmacists have been strictly told to dispense the drug to only those with a doctor`s prescription. Three companies -- Roche (M) Sdn Bhd, Ranbaxy (M) Sdn Bhd and CCM Duopharma Biotech Berhad -- are involved in the supply of Tamiflu.
Ranbaxy is producing a generic version of the anti-viral drug locally. The drug is sold in the market for between RM120 to RM140 per box.
Bureau Report
