June 25, 2009 — 727 Confirmed Cases of H1N1 in the Philippines

25 June 2009

As of today, there are 727 confirmed cases of H1N1 in the Philippines.  

This is Update No. 51 from the DOH website:

Update No. 51 - Duque: 85 More A (H1N1) Patients have Fully Recovered

25 June 2009

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III today reported that 85 more A (H1N1) patients have fully recovered. This new number brings the total count of fully recovered cases to 536 or 74% of the total sum of reported confirmed mild cases since May 21.

Duque also disclosed that there are 123 more confirmed cases, all mild in nature, reported today. These new additional cases bring the total of confirmed cases to 727.

The 123 new cases involved 71 males and 52 females. The age range of these cases is 6-59 years old, with 19 as median age. One hundred twenty (120) of the new cases are Filipinos and the remaining three (3) are foreigners. Twenty-one (21 of these cases have a history of travel to a country affected with the novel virus.

Duque repeated that the safest ways to avoid contracting the flu are thorough hand washing and covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

Duque stressed that the best defense against A (H1N1) and other diseases is to boost your immune system.

“Most can fight off this novel virus even without medications or hospitalization. If you have mild flu-like symptoms but you do not have any pre-existing medical condition then there is no reason to be alarmed. Just stay home and take plenty of fluids, vitamins and bed rest,” Duque advised.

“We want to make it clear that high-risk groups, once they have the flu symptoms, should immediately go to their doctor.   They should not wait for their symptoms to worsen because they are prone to many infections other than the novel virus such as our seasonal flu strains.  These are patients with uncontrolled diabetes, frank cardiovascular disease, asthma, COPD, organ transplant recipients, those who are immunocompromised, those with chronic liver and kidney disease, people suffering from other infections like HIV/AIDs and TB, pregnant women and the very young and the elderly,” Duque clarified.

“It is prudent for parents to seek professional care for children with rapid breathing, excessive drowsiness or dehydration. In adults, chest pain, prolonged fever or labored breathing should prompt warnings to see a doctor,” Duque reminded the public.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO), as of June 24, reported 55,867 cases with 238 deaths from 102 reporting countries. The WHO said that Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Latvia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Tunisia, Ukraine and Vanuatu are the new countries reporting with A (H1N1) cases.  

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