theSun | WEDNESDAY MAY 6 2009 5

news without borders

Sarawak man tested
negative for H1N1 virus
KUALA LUMPUR: A man be-
ing treated at the isolation room
at Sarawak General Hospital in
Kuching is not infected with the
influenza A(H1N1) virus, Health
Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd
Ismail Merican confirmed last
night.
He said a virology test carried
out at the Institute for Medical
Research (IMR) here showed the
man did not suffer from the H1N1
the 31-year-old man, who had
travelled to the United States, had
been admitted to the hospital on
Monday night after he was found
to have symptoms of A(H1N1).
He said the man had returned
to Sarawak on Friday with a fever,
cough and flu, Bernama reported.
A swab sample from his throat
was sent to the IMR yesterday
morning.
“We want to know exactly the
Tsu Koon
won’t
attend
public health response to identify
land case
inquiry
pg 7
those who have been in contact with
him to monitor their health.
“So far, including in Sarawak,
there have been three suspected
cases of A(H1N1), with Penang and
Selangor having one case each,
both testing negative.”
At the meeting, Ramlee said
Malaysia was still free of H1N1
as the government had taken
proactive measures to prevent ZA
China to repatriate
Mexicans as flu
fears ease
SHANGHAI: China prepared
yesterday to repatriate Mexicans
who were under forced quar-
antine over fears of a new flu
strain, and Mexico announced
plans to revive its economy hit
by the deadly epidemic, which
showed signs of easing.
An Aeromexico plane arrived
in Shanghai to repatriate dozens
of Mexicans held under forced
flu quarantine, as a Chinese air-
craft left for Mexico to pick up its
own stranded nationals.
The 43 Mexicans, none show-
A(H1N1) ing symptoms of the H1N1 flu,
have become pawns in a
economy, prompting major
operators like Carnival Cruise
Lines to cancel visits.
Calderon said details of the
stimulus plan would be given in
coming days, telling the nation
in a televised broadcast: “We’re
going to come out of this experi-
ence successfully and soon.”
He repeated government
assurances that Mexico was over
the worst of its own epidemic.
To date, 27 deaths have
been officially confirmed – 26
in Mexico and one in the United
States – though more than 100
are suspected to have died from

INFLUEN

HO
virus. type of the virus the man has as a it spreading, in line with World drama about how far gov- the flu. Its global spread has
“Information received from Health Organisation guide- ernments should go to stifle kept alive fears of a possible

the hospital said the patient was
recuperating following the treat-
ment administered,” he added in
necessary precaution,” Ramlee told
reporters after opening a two-day
meeting on Healthy Cities for senior
officials from Asean countries.
TLINE
lines. fears the virus could creep pandemic, although scientists
“We have the facilities to through their borders. say this strain does not appear
detect it, no need to worry, you The row has strained more deadly than seasonal flu.
what had been a Calderon condemned the

03

00
a statement. “At the moment, there is only will be taken care of,” he told the -8
Earlier, his deputy, Dr Ramlee one suspected case in Sarawak and participants. 881 /3 quarantine measures against
Rahmat, disclosed in Kuching we have activated our 0200 Mexican citizens overseas as
“discriminatory”.
China has denied that, saying

Life under
microscope at HK
quarantine hotel
HONGKONG: Cocooned in tiny
rooms for a week, 300 tourists and
staff quarantined at a hotel here
in the battle against the H1N1 flu
have been painfully adjusting to
life in confinement, while aching
for release later this week.
The downtown Metropark
Hotel in the famed Wanchai bar
district was placed under quaran-
tine for seven days last Friday after
a Mexican man staying there was
confirmed as the city’s first H1N1
case as the disease spread to Asia.
HongKong’s leader Donald
Tsang yesterday publicly apologised
to hotel guests for the inconven-
ience, but local health officials and
experts have defended the measure
as necessary to contain the risk of a
community-wide spread.
With the hotel sealed off by
masked police and buzzing with
health officers in surgical suits,
guests have kept largely to them-
selves in hotel rooms, undergoing
health checks, taking anti-flu
drugs like Tamiflu and venturing
out only for meals.
“You’re confined to a room. All
you can do is walk to the lobby.
You’ve got to do your own washing
and there’s just a TV, a computer
and an iPod,” Leslie Carr, a British
guest, said by telephone.
“My trusted computer keeps
me sane,” added Carr who has
documented the surreal hotel
existence on YouTube and online
EPAPIX
isolation was the correct pro-
cedure. China’s vast population
and patchy medical infrastruc-
ture make it vulnerable should
the virus take hold.
Police closed roads to the
airport as ambulances drove
away from the Shanghai hotel
where the Mexicans, including
blogs, recount- a honeymooning couple, had
ing occasional been quarantined.
None of those quarantined
temper tan-
had shown any signs of being
trums thrown infected, the Chinese Health
by guests, Ministry said, and the state-
frustration at run Xinhua news agency said
disrupted travel six Mexican students studying
plans and more in China had “volunteered to
prosaic gripes stay”. It did not elaborate.
like the poor In Hongkong, some 300
quality of the guests and staff remained
food provided. quarantined in a hotel where
Despite this, China’s single confirmed
initial fears and H1N1 case, a 25-year-old
anger seem to Mexican man, had stayed.
have abated with The one Mexican in China
no new H1N1 found with the H1N1 virus
cases discovered arrived in Hongkong on
in the hotel. Many Thursday after passing
guests are now warming through Shanghai. Many of the
counting down Staff of relationship, but with Beijing confined Mexicans in Hongkong
the days till Friday evening tine will provide valuable data for Hongkong’s courting Latin America as a trade were on his flight to Shanghai.
when they’re due to be released. future possible cases emerging. Home Affairs and diplomatic partner, the dam- While the new H1N1 virus
“We try every way to make “It looks very draconian, but Department age appears unlikely to last. is not foodborne, fears of
their (life) as tolerable as possible. actually just shows that we’re wearing Mexico is considered the cross-border contagion stirred
Nobody wants to be quarantined, very careful,” said Yuen Kwok- protective epicentre of the flu outbreak that up international trade tensions
but unfortunately they happened yung, the head of microbiology at clothes and has infected more than 1,200 after about 20 nations banned
to be in the hotel at that time,” the University of Hongkong, who masks stand people in 21 countries over the imports of pigs, pork and other
Hongkong Health Secretary York advises the government. in front of the past week, sparking fears of a meat from the US, Canada and
Chow told reporters. “Under such circumstances it’s isolated Metro global pandemic. Mexico – the three most flu-
difficult to know what to do, and Park Hotel Mexican President Felipe affected countries.
Densely populated Hongkong
especially when we don’t really yesterday. Calderon announced a stimulus Canada threatened to take
saw a downtown hotel become a
package, including a temporary China to the World Trade Or-
key infection site during the SARS understand the transmission dy-
tax cut for cruise lines visiting ganisation unless Beijing backs
crisis in 2003 as the deadly virus namics of the acute viral respira-
Mexico, in a bid to lure back down from its ban on imports of
spread to other guests, an experi- tory infection in a hotel setting. pigs and pork from the province
shiploads of foreign visitors.
ence which experts say may have “We know it well in a hospital The new H1N1 flu strain has of Alberta, where a herd of pigs
coloured the city’s tough approach setting, we know it well on an air- walloped the tourism sector, was found to have the H1N1
to the H1N1 case. Infectious dis- craft, (but) we’re not too sure in a accounting for 8% of Mexico’s strain. – Reuters
ease experts say the hotel quaran- hotel what happens.” – Reuters

briefs
21 countries with H1N1
KUALA LUMPUR: The World Health Organisa-
tion reported yesterday 21 countries have now
officially confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1).
There were 1,124 officially reported cases. The
number of deaths caused by the virus remains
unchanged at 26. Mexico remains the country
with the largest number of deaths at 25. The other
death was reported in the United States.
8,799 passengers screened
GEORGE TOWN: A total of 8,799 passengers
arriving at the Penang International Airport
since April 28 have been screened for influ-
enza A(H1N1).
Environment, health, welfare and caring
society committee chairman Phee Boon Poh
said in a statement yesterday health officers
are stationed at the airport entrance in two
shifts – 7am to 3pm and 3pm to 11pm.
Eight health officers, four staff nurses and
four assistants are stationed at the airport
to screen arriving passengers, he said.
Health alert cards are distributed to pas-
sengers, and arrival cards are inspected to
screen for people arriving from countries
where H1N1 has been detected.
H1N1 surge expected
HONGKONG: The new H1N1 flu virus is expected
to surge in coming months in the southern hemi-
sphere when the winter season begins, health
experts said, calling for continued vigilance even
if the virus appears to be mild.
Influenza viruses thrive in colder months.
Winter is also a time when flu infections surge
because people tend to crowd around in poorly
ventilated settings.
“Yes, it is quite possible that more cases
will be seen in the southern hemisphere as
winter comes, that’s really just starting now,”
said Bill Rawlinson, head of virology at the
Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney.
“It does appear mild but every year in
Australia, we have 1,500 to 3,000 deaths
due to flu.
“When you get a new strain, even if it may
not be as fatal as H5N1, it is still a serious event
and you do see an excess of deaths due to new
strains because people don’t have immunity,”
he said. – Reuters
S. Korea confirms 2nd case
SEOUL: South Korea has confirmed a second
case of H1N1 flu, a health official said yester-
day, with more than 30 other people being
tested for the potentially deadly virus.
Test results confirmed the patient was
infected with influenza A (H1N1), the official
said without identifying the person. – AFP
Thai students in the clear
BANGKOK: The health ministry said yesterday
three students who had been quarantined for
possible H1N1 flu after returning from a trip to
Mexico could return home.
“Their lab tests were normal, they can go
back home,” the statement quoted Thai health
minister Wittaya Kaewparadai as saying. –
Agencies