Commonground
Senior Moderator
Malaysia terms swine flu outbreak as national health emergency
Tuesday , Aug 18, 2009 at 1335 hrs
With the death toll due to swine flu climbing steadily, Malaysia has termed the outbreak as a "national health emergency" but noted that a health curfew would not be imposed unless the mortality rate went above 0.4 per cent. Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the H1N1 virus' mortality rate was currently between 0.1 and 0.4 per cent in Malaysia.
So far, the flu has claimed 64 lives across the country. Any announcement on a curfew will be made by the National Security Council, he was quoted by the local media as saying.
"It is not up to the Health Ministry. We will monitor the situation and we still have to discuss with them."
Liow said stern measures, including a curfew, might be announced if the virus "misbehaved". "At the moment the virus is not changing. It is attacking the high-risk group, so they must pay particular attention to it."
<!--google -->
<script language="JavaScript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>He added, however, there was a possibility that the virus could generate a deadlier second wave.
"If there are any signs of a second wave, we will make an announcement early. During the rainy season, children can easily get the flu and we are worried that it can mix with H1N1 and change the characteristics."
A total of 284 cases were being treated while 33 confirmed cases, including 17 having risk factors, were being treated in the various ICUs across the country.
Tuesday , Aug 18, 2009 at 1335 hrs
With the death toll due to swine flu climbing steadily, Malaysia has termed the outbreak as a "national health emergency" but noted that a health curfew would not be imposed unless the mortality rate went above 0.4 per cent. Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the H1N1 virus' mortality rate was currently between 0.1 and 0.4 per cent in Malaysia.
So far, the flu has claimed 64 lives across the country. Any announcement on a curfew will be made by the National Security Council, he was quoted by the local media as saying.
"It is not up to the Health Ministry. We will monitor the situation and we still have to discuss with them."
Liow said stern measures, including a curfew, might be announced if the virus "misbehaved". "At the moment the virus is not changing. It is attacking the high-risk group, so they must pay particular attention to it."
<!--google -->
<script language="JavaScript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>He added, however, there was a possibility that the virus could generate a deadlier second wave.
"If there are any signs of a second wave, we will make an announcement early. During the rainy season, children can easily get the flu and we are worried that it can mix with H1N1 and change the characteristics."
A total of 284 cases were being treated while 33 confirmed cases, including 17 having risk factors, were being treated in the various ICUs across the country.