H1N1 Latest Update - Aug 30

Tens of thousands of people around the world die of flu every year. Is the Influenza A (H1N1) flu virus any different from the regular flu virus?

Just because it is a new strain is it more deadly and more to be feared? Should we continue to go about our business like nothing is happening which is quite the case really according to a World Health Organization report.

The report says that Malaysians are a complacent lot when it comes to dealing with Influenza A(H1N1) and that many Malaysians did not take the disease seriously. The report also said Malaysians had a poor understanding and knowledge about how A(H1N1) spreads.

The WHO officials were invited here to conduct a study in view of the rising number of A(H1N1) patients and fatality. They were in Malaysia for a week studying the flu situation before they submitted their report to the Health Ministry.

However, it was noted that Malaysia’s efficient and sensitive surveillance system was able to accurately record the number of deaths in the country while some other countries were still unable to confirm if patients had died of the disease.

Malaysia's death toll has risen to 72 from 71 a few days ago which is cause for worry though still within limit set by WHO. The officials recommended that more beds be set up at the intensive care units of hospitals, which treat A(H1N1) patients with chronic conditions.

At the same time, WHO warns of the appearance of a severe form of A(H1N1) virus that goes straight to the lungs causing severe illness in otherwise healthy people. According to WHO, the virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard-of speed. In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover.

Earlier, WHO reported that H1N1 had reached epidemic levels in Japan, signalling an early start to what may be a long influenza season this year, and that it was also worsening in tropical regions.

In case you are interested, these are current stats on Malaysian cases:

365 patients (48 in ICUs) are still infected with the virus; 442 patients admitted for ILI (influenza-like illnesses) while 353 have been discharged. A total of 1598 patients are being treated for ILI in 107 hospitals nationwide including four private hospitals.

So, should we all be more vigilant and play a bigger part in helping keep the virus at bay?

H1N1 - Better be Safe than Sorry

Best to wear a mask in crowded places like these..



Good to read Many still complacent about anti-H1N1 measures

Perhaps it's too early to tell but the good news today is that No H1N1 deaths reported for second day in a row.

The number of deaths due to the flu remains at 68 while 1,476 cases are being treated at 102 hospitals nationwide including three private hospitals.

In the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, the H1N1 pandemic is still active in 182 countries. The WHO had reported 1,227 new cases and 34 deaths, raising the overall total of H1N1 cases to 234,569 and the number of deaths to 2,433.

H1N1 Update - India & Malaysia

India is struggling to cope with the spread of swine flu, with at least 17 deaths confirmed from the virus and nearly 1,200 diagnosed cases. The outbreak has caused panic in much of the country, with schools, theaters and shopping malls closing in many places.

That is the scenario in India. Over here in Malaysia, there have been 44 deaths and close to 2000 people infected. Even the Regent of Pahang’s consort and five children are down with H1N1.

Be well..

August 10 H1N1 Update for Malaysia

Globally, 208,155 people have been found to be infected by the virus and 1,688 people from 174 countries have died. These are not scary statistics as compared to other plagues in history but it still warrants vigilance to contain the virus which was reported yesterday to have claimed eight more victims in East Malaysia.

As of today, 6 more deaths, taking total to 32

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican advised the public to take preventive measures and heed the advice given by the Health Ministry.

He said those with symptoms of the disease or in the high-risk category should seek immediate treatment.

Individuals categorised as high risk are children aged below five, senior citizens aged 65 and above, pregnant women, asthmatics, those with chronic lung disease, dysfunctional organs, cardiovascular disease, liver problems, nerve problems, diabetes, obesity and weak immune system.

Those in these groups would be given antiviral treatment without requiring confirmation from lab tests, he said.

Further information on Influenza A (H1N1) can be obtained from the hotline at 03-8881-0200 and 03-8881-0300, which operates from 8am to 5.30pm, or by visiting the ministry’s website at http://www.moh.gov.my and http://h1n1.moh.gov.my.

Take care..

August 9 H1N1 Update - Malaysia

I get hits like "Is it safe to visit Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia in view of H1N1?". Thought I'd give a brief update on the situation in Malaysia.

Yes, it is safe to visit Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia for that matter. The government is monitoring the situation closely and has advised the people to be vigilant and take the necessary steps to contain the flu. Below is an update on what is being done.

With the death toll risen to 18 todate, the Malaysian Health Minister said that H1N1 has established foothold and yesterday announced three new strategies to counter the pandemic.

The new measures are aimed at making H1N1 testing and treatment more widely available and accessible to the public, and will take immediate effect.

The three new strategies are:

* all clinics and hospitals, both private and public, are encouraged to use rapid influenza screening tests for those with flu-like symptoms who request to be tested. Such tests should be done as close as possible to the onset of symptoms. All cases testing positive for H1N1 can be treated immediately with the antiviral oseltamivir;

* all clinics and hospitals, both private and public, can now treat patients suspected of having contracted H1N1 with oseltamivir. This is particularly essential for those who test positive on the rapid test and those with risk factors and co-morbidities. However, those with more severe illness, with associated risk factors and co-morbidities, should be referred to hospitals for treatments; and,

* the ministry will make all efforts to ensure the supply of antiviral in the market would not be disrupted.

A statement issued by the ministry yesterday, however, pointed out that the rapid tests are only 70-75 per cent accurate and advised patients with flu-like symptoms but tested negative for influenza A to also observe all precautions and seek further treatment if their condition worsened.

The Ministry will also stop daily reporting on the number of tested and confirmed cases in Malaysia, in line with the World Health Organisation’s stand in stopping such reports. This is because the WHO feels that such reports no longer give an accurate view of the actual situation on the ground.

However, the number of cases admitted in hospitals for inpatient treatment and deaths will still be reported. The ministry would continue to monitor and report on cluster outbreaks to make sure preventive measures can be put in place quickly.
Source: NST


All clinics and hospitals in the public and private sectors could now treat patients suspected of having contracted A (H1N1) with oseltamvir, better known as Tamiflu.
SourceL The Star


While in the United States..
Most schools should be able to stay open even if swine flu outbreaks occur again this fall, government officials said Friday as they issued recommendations for dealing with the illness when the school year starts.

The nation has 130,000 schools, 55 million students and 7 million staff members. Closing schools may mean that parents have to stay home or find child care, which some cannot afford.

The advice to schools includes telling staff members and students to stay home when they are sick and not to return for at least 24 hours after the fever goes away. This differs from earlier guidelines, which advised staying home for seven days.

I wonder why people in the US are still calling this Influenza A (H1N1) the swine flu..
Source: New York Times

Latest on the H1N1 situation in Malaysia - July 29

Latest Oct 11 - A(H1N1) still active despite reduction in cases
Latest Sep 27 - No new H1N1 deaths as at Sep 27
Latest Aug 10 Update on Statistics on infections and death toll
Latest Aug 9 update on Health Ministry's strategies

H1N1 flu virus may be just another flu strain, nevertheless it should not be taken lightly. What is the latest situation in Malaysia then?

A third death has been reported three days ago signalling a worsening of the situation in the country. It is the first influenza A (H1N1)-related death from a local transmission.

The 42-year-old man, who died on Monday, is the third victim to have died from the flu. The two earlier deaths were linked to imported cases. The two were a 46-year-old Malaysian man, who had worked in Belgium and died last Sunday and a 30-year-old Islamic finance student from Indonesia who died on July 21.

All private clinics and hospitals have been directed by the Health Ministry to be vigilant and be on high alert as well as to have Tamiflu, the anti-viral drug, to handle the H1N1 cases. Anyone having flu and cough to take it seriously, said the Health Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai . He advised the public to wear a mask, take care of personal hygiene and try to practice social distancing if you are having sore throat and cough.

Image source: NY Times

US President, Barack Obama, advocates the following guidelines at last Wednesday's news conference when discussing the H1N1 flu.

“Wash your hands when you shake hands; cover your mouth when you cough. “I know it sounds trivial, but it makes a huge difference. If you are sick, stay home. If your child is sick, keep them out of school. If you are feeling certain flu symptoms, don’t get on an airplane, don’t get on a — any system of public transportation where you’re confined and you could potentially spread the virus. You can read article here.

Meanwhile on the local front, more closures have been ordered - Schools, colleges and NS camp have been closed. In Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Putra Ma-laysia will start their mid-term break today, two weeks earlier than scheduled. This is to control the spread of the virus among its students as four students have tested positive for the virus so far.


Worldwide, the H1N1 flu situation is not getting better..

- Hong Kong reported its second swine flu-related death after a Filipino housekeeper with the disease died. Hong Kong now has 2,855 swine flu cases.

- New Zealand has been hard hit by swine flu, with 2,662 confirmed cases reported, including 14 deaths.

- El Salvador meanwhile decided to close schools nationwide for two weeks to combat the spread of swine flu. El Salvador has confirmed 545 cases of swine flu, including seven deaths.

- Israel has suffered its first death in the global swine flu epidemic.

- It has hit the United States harder than anywhere else, having likely infected more than 1 million Americans.

There have been 302 deaths and nearly 44,000 laboratory-identified cases in the United States, according to numbers released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, most of those who have died from it in the United States have had other health problems, such as asthma.

Health experts believe that because the swine flu virus is new, most people haven't developed an immunity to it. The virus has caused an unusual number of serious illnesses in teens and young adults, unlike the seasonal flu, which is usually most dangerous to the elderly and very young children.

- Saudi Arabia also reported its first swine flu death Monday.

Here's an insight into what's it like catching the flu in Beijing.


Hope you are still moving ahead with your plan to vacation in Malaysia. This is the time where Malaysia plays host to holiday makers and this year is no different. The streets are bustling and hotels are fully-booked. This is the time of the Mega Sale Carnival afterall. Welcome to Malaysia!

Booklet - Pandemic Flu, Influenze A (H1N1) Virus

Over-hyped or not, we still need to be vigilant about the H1N1 flu. A kind friend shared this UN-published booklet, Pandemic Flu Influence A (H1N1) Flu, the contents of which are as follows.


Click on image to enlarge

H1N1 Update - June 30

Go here for the update on August 9 - 18 deaths todate

I noticed my blog stats recorded a hit to a query, "Is it safe to travel to KL in view of the H1N1 flu". If you, the enquirer happens to be reading this post, let me assure you that it is safe to travel to KL and Malaysia for that matter.

We are doing all we can to contain the spread and nurse those infected. We have even gone to the point of urging Sarawakians studying in Australia not to come back to curb H1N1.

Todate, there has been a total of 144 cases with 20 new H1N1 cases being reported - 16 were imported and four locally transmitted involving 13 Malaysians and seven foreigners – a Vietnamese, a German, an Australian, a Japanese, an American and two Indonesians.

Indeed, there has been an over-emphasis of the H1N1 flu and has affected tourism. By comparison, SARS has killed more people with a mortality rate of one per 12 vis-a-vis one per 220 for H1N1 according to the World Health Organisation.

A letter published in The Star a few days ago highlighted that at the Tuas checkpoint, there was no health screening on the thousands who entered Malaysia (from Singapore) via the checkpoint. Could it be because the H1N1 flu spreads easily but is not so deadly? And, chew on this, there is no H1N1 screening at Heathrow in London. This is a tweet on Twitter: Arrived in London yesterday - no H1N1 checks at Heathdrow, not even forms to fill and no cameras! Unbelievable!

Latest update on H1N1 - June 26

I read that screening for the flu virus is not done at airports in London. Despite Malaysia taking strict measures, we are still seeing increasing infections daily. Is England not seeing an increase? I wonder..

As of yesterday, the number of cases in Malaysia has risen to 91 with 11 new infections - three locally transmitted and eight imported cases. A 19-month-old baby is among the eleven.

According to The Star..

The toddler, the 84th case, was among those placed under home quarantine after being found to have had contact with the 72nd confirmed case in the country, an 11-year-old Indonesian boy who arrived at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal on board Flight AK702 on Monday at 1.55pm. The child’s three other family members who were also quarantined have tested negative.

One of the three locally transmitted cases involved a foreign student in Kuala Lumpur while three of the imported cases were foreigners – from Ireland, Australia and the Philippines.

The foreign student is a 24-year-old Yemeni studying at a private institution and living in Kuala Lumpur, who had contact with the 63rd confirmed case on Tuesday – a Yemeni on holiday here.

In Alor Setar, the Kedah Health Department is looking for those who came into contact with a 29-year-old woman from Sungai Petani, who is the 86th patient in the country.

The woman was among 10 people who had gone to Phuket for five days before returning to the LCCT on Flight AK823 (Seat 28A) at 10am on Sunday.

The group continued its journey to Penang the same day on Flight AK5368 (her seat was 22F) and arrived in Penang at 4.30pm.

Three other people confirmed as having the virus in Kedah were a 21-year-old university student, who returned from Toronto with his two sisters aged 18 and 25.

35 of the patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.


Source: The Star

H1N1 - Today's latest update

Read LATEST UPDATE HERE - June 30

LATEST UPDATE: A(H1N1): 12 more cases, 10 imported and two locally transmitted; total cases now at 80


Gosh! You must be so bored with my updates on the H1N1 flu. I apologise. For some strange reason, I'm keeping tab on its spread for my own awareness and if you find it useful too, I am glad. If otherwise, do what you please. Hey, it's Summertime!

Looks like Melbourne deserves the title of H1N1 center or something to this effect as yet another returning student came back from Melbourne with the virus. This makes it the 70th case in the country.

The Star reported that

Johor has reported its first confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) case of a 19-year-old female student who returned from Melbourne via Changi Airport Singapore on flight SQ0238 on June 22.

She is now being treated at Hospital Sultanah Aminah while her family members and the taxi driver have been placed under home quarantine for a week.

The student’s 16-year-old brother is from Sekolah Dato Jaafar while her 17-year-old sister studies at SMK Infant Jesus Convent.


Yesterday...

Latest: Seri Cempaka, Assunta 1 schools closed for a week

The Health Ministry has urged students returning for holidays from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and the Philippines must quarantine themselves at home for seven days as most imported cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) reported in the country involve people who returned from these countries.

The number of cases nationwide has increased to 69 with 10 new cases, two of which are local transmissions.

Meanwhile, the Seri Cempaka International School in Batu 9, Cheras in Kuala Lumpur became the fourth school to be ordered to be closed for a week after a student tested positive for the flu.



















SJK (C) Jalan Davidson here and SRK Assunta 1 and 2 in Petaling Jaya were closed earlier after students were confirmed with the virus.

SMK Seksyen 9 Shah Alam, SMK Damansara Utama in Petaling Jaya and SM Wangsa Maju in Kuala Lumpur have each had one class stopped from Monday.

Source: The Star


In the ASEAN region..

A(H1N1): Philippines suspends legislature on flu fear

MANILA: The Philippine House of Representatives suspended operations Tuesday for five days after news that the country's first swine flu-related fatality worked at the legislature. The legislature building will be sanitized.

Australia reported its second swine flu-related death - the third for the Asia-Pacific region.

The Philippines confirmed 28 more infections, bringing the country's total to 473.

In Australia, a 35-year-old man with a range of medical problems died in a Melbourne hospital Saturday after seeking help for a flu-like illness Friday, an official said.

On Friday, a 26-year-old man with multiple ailments including swine flu died at a hospital in the southern city of Adelaide.

Authorities are not certain in either case that swine flu was the main cause of death.

Australia had 2,733 confirmed cases of swine flu by Tuesday.

Malaysia's Health Ministry said it closed a fourth school Tuesday as 10 new cases were reported.

Three other primary schools remained closed this week.

Chinese authorities issued a plan for schools to contain future outbreaks as 27 more infections were confirmed, bringing the mainland's total to 441 cases.

The ministries of health and education said that if an outbreak spreads through a school and affected surrounding areas, classes in all schools in the area should be suspended.

Cases where only one classroom has been affected would trigger disinfections and daily health checks at all schools in the area.

New Zealand confirmed another 61 cases of swine flu, taking to 364 the tally of cases nationwide.

Thailand's Public Health Ministry confirmed 125 new cases of swine flu Tuesday, bringing the country's total to 899.

The World Health Organization has declared a flu pandemic. As of Monday, it said more than 52,000 cases had been reported worldwide with 231 deaths, mostly in Mexico and the United States.

Source: The Star

H1N1 Status in Singapore

And if you think Singapore is in a better condition where the flu is concerned, it is on the contrary.

A(H1N1) spreads in Singapore

SINGAPORE: The island republic confirmed another 26 new cases of Influenza A(H1N1) on Monday, comprising 17 local cases and nine cases with travel history, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 168.

In a statement Tuesday, its Health Ministry said it appeared that community spread had gathered momentum with more cases from local transmission reported.

The ministry said it was gearing up local polyclinics and a few hundred general practitioners to treat suspected cases, and these clinics would help to manage patients with influenza-like illness as the government moved from containment into mitigation mode.

The 17 new local cases involved those who attended a church function, an entertainment club and a religious camp.

The nine patients had travelled to Australia, Britain, Canada, the Philippines and the United States. -- Bernama


Source: The Star

H1N1 Update - Latest todate

The Influenza A(H1N1) infection is still spreading worldwide. Here in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur in particular, more cases have been reported and appropriate action taken. In the meantime, life goes on as usual for the general public. Shopping malls and cinema-halls and other places where people usually congregate are still packed and busy.

For those of you living in KL, are you cutting down on your routine or going out less?

Below is an update in The Star today:

Assunta 2 closed, classes in four others stopped

PETALING JAYA: More schools have been affected by the spread of the influenza A (H1N1) virus.

SRK Assunta 2 was closed for a week beginning yesterday, after a locally-transmitted case was detected. It is the second school closure in the country due to the disease.

Four other schools — Seri Cempaka International School in Batu 9 Cheras, SMK Seksyen 9 Shah Alam, SMK Damansara Utama in Petaling Jaya and SM Wangsa Maju — have each had one class stopped.

● Three new locally-transmitted cases were detected yesterday, bringing the number of such cases to seven.

● A total of 58 cases have been recorded in the country so far, with eight new cases yesterday.

● Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has asked the public to adhere to measures instituted by health authorities to curb the spread of the disease.

● Schoolchildren returning from the United States, Australia and the Philippines have been urged to stay away from school for a week, from the day they arrive home.

Related Stories:
Second school hit by A (H1N1)
Sarawak’s first case
Action committees to be set up in all districts
Parents on high anxiety
School authorities urged to check for flu symptoms

Latest Update on the H1N1 flu in Malaysia

Go here for the latest update on the flu situation

This is a picture of the first school in Malaysia to be closed until June 26 after an 11-year-old student tested positive on Friday for the Influenza A(H1N1) and the virus was also transmitted to two classmates. It is a Chinese national type primary school at Jalan Davidson. Another eight new cases were reported Sunday bringing the total to 50 cases.

Meanwhile, several Asian countries have ordered mass school closures, some in the thousands, to stem outbreaks of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

- The Hong Kong government has closed all primary, kindergarten, nursery and special schools since last week after the Chinese territory recorded its first case of the virus.

- Japan has closed 4,466 schools in six prefectures, mostly primary schools, kindergartens, junior, according to its Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

- Thailand has authorised schools to suspend classes if necessary, without seeking the Education Ministry’s permission.

- The Philippines, which has suspended classes in 11 schools and universities after detecting one case in each, told school authorities to report any influenza-like illnesses among their students, especially those who have recently travelled to affected countries.

The Director-General of Health advises students on what they can do to curb the spread of the flu.

Students returning from vacation in countries affected by the Influenza A (H1N1) virus to seek immediate treatment if they have cough and fever and to limit their interaction with friends, including avoiding classes until they get better.

The D-G urges the public to cooperate with the authorities by postponing their travel to countries hit by the flu, “and travel only if absolutely necessary” as the chances of contracting the virus when flying to an affected country has increased, whether traveller is in that country or during the flight there.

These are the numbers (03-8881 0200 and 8881 0300) to get in touch with the Health Ministry should you come in contact with those who had been tested positive for the flu virus, including passengers on the same flight and crew members.

The public can follow the latest developments on the flu outbreak via the ministry’s website at www.moh.gov.my.

Source: The Star


Here is the latest update on the H1N1 situation in Malaysia - June 23 update.

The Flu situation in Malaysia

You can run but you can't hide. This is exactly what the world is facing now with regard to the Influenza A(H1N1) situation.

In Malaysia, The Star reported today that health authorities have confirmed five more cases of “imported” Influenza A (H1N1), bringing to 17 the number of confirmed cases in the country. *sigh*

The five cases involve:

1. A 12-year-old boy who had spent five days in Manila before arriving here on Saturday on board Malaysian Airline flight MH705 (seat 15E).

2. A 25-year-old British tourist arrived last Monday via flight EK342 from Dubai, spent a night in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur before proceeding to Pulau Tioman via Berjaya Air J8190 (seat 5A) on Tuesday.

Both cases were confirmed positive on Sunday

3. A 16-year-old student from Melbourne arrived here on Saturday at 7.30pm on board Jet Star Airline 3K687 (seat 4A) from Singapore and records showed that he had travelled from Melbourne to Sydney on Tuesday before flying to Singapore on Friday via Qantas QS319 (seat 30D).

4. A 14-year-old American schoolgirl who arrived in Kota Kinabalu onboard MH385 on Saturday at 6.10pm and was referred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after screening showed she had symptoms of the flu.

5. A 26-year-old woman who had gone to Melbourne for a holiday. She had arrived from Melbourne on Saturday via Air Asia X D72723 at 7.15am and went to the Sungai Buloh hospital for treatment on Sunday when she developed a fever.

All three cases were confirmed positive for the flu yesterday.

Health authorities are currently tracing crew and other passengers of flights J8190 which arrived in Pulau Tioman at 4pm on June 9, MH705 which arrived at KLIA at 7.05pm on Saturday and Jet Star Airlines 3K687 which arrived 25 minutes later.

The authorities are also tracing the crew and passengers of flights MH385 which arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday at 6.10pm and Air Asia D7 2723 which arrived at the LCCT on Sunday at 7.15am.

Those who were on board these flights should call the Health Ministry at 08-888 10200 or 03-888 10300 for medical advice.

Summer is a time for travel and holidays. Even though there is no restriction on travel, the flu threat might keep more people at home. Todate, I have not seen a single person in Kuala Lumpur with a mask on which could be a good indication that the flu is not on the streets though we have been advised to wash our hands regularly and refrain from shaking hands, if possible.


When was the last time you received a love letter? Never ever? Well, here is one for you. Hmm... I wonder if people still write like that.. Do you? Would you?

Hazy Days Again / A(H1N1) Pandemic Status

The rain yesterday did not help to clear the haze and today, air quality has deteriorated with Port Klang the first in the country to record unhealthy air quality from a moderate 82 API reading to 125.

The main cause of this deteriorating air quality is ground level ozone, a condition where abnormally high concentrations of chemical processes brought about by human activities cause smog, activities of which include the release of volatile organic compounds from exhausts of motorised vehicles and industries.

Below is a comparison of the same place, Klang, showing the difference in air quality yesterday compared with Wednesday (top).

Source: The Star

And this was taken on the MRR2 (Middle Ring Road 2) overlooking Taman Melawati with the hills in the background shrouded in haze.




Hazy days can mean eye-irritation for some people. Unfortunately, we also have to contend with the A(H1N1) flu virus though Malaysia has it pretty well contained as of now. The World Health Organization has raised the alert to the maximum pandemic status. According to the Director General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, a characteristic feature of pandemics is their rapid spread to all parts of the world. Indeed, there have been cases in the US, Chile (South America, the UK, Japan and Australia and others. There are nearly 30,000 confirmed cases reported in 74 countries.

Let me share some points from the Director-General's speech announcing the pandemic status:

In late April, WHO announced the emergence of a novel influenza A virus.

This particular H1N1 strain has not circulated previously in humans. The virus is entirely new.

The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries.

This is only part of the picture. With few exceptions, countries with large numbers of cases are those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place.

Spread in several countries can no longer be traced to clearly-defined chains of human-to-human transmission. Further spread is considered inevitable.

The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic.

We are in the earliest days of the pandemic. The virus is spreading under a close and careful watch.

WHO continues to recommend no restrictions on travel and no border closures.

Influenza pandemics, whether moderate or severe, are remarkable events because of the almost universal susceptibility of the world’s population to infection.

We are all in this together, and we will all get through this, together.


If you are interested, here is the speech in its entirety.

Rain Relief / Possible Pandemic Alert for the Influenza A(H1N1)

With the heat and the haze building up, it sure was good to have the rain pouring down this afternoon. But alas, it was gone too soon, perhaps not enough to clear the haze. The temperature outside is still high, at 91 deg F, according to the reading on the blog.

If the dry spell persists, we would soon be experiencing water rationing though the dams are all running full as we speak. However, Klang Valley folks (that's us in the Kuala Lumpur area too) have been warned to conserve water from now.

On the global front, the World Health Organisation may raise the pandemic alert for influenza A (H1N1) to level six, as the number of confirmed cases continue to rise.

Malaysia registered two more cases of the disease, bringing the total to 11. In the past 24 hours, the global count rose by 2,238 cases and two deaths. More..

Malaysia is Safe to Travel to

Hi y'all. Good morning.. Missed me? Kidding. Suffice to say that I had to attend to something personal.

So, what have I missed at the local front that I'm catching up on?

Let's see..

After Thailand reporting its first case of the A(H1Ni) case, Malaysia had its first case reported on Sat, May 16.

A 21-year-old student returning from New York was infected and quarantined and subsequently another student travelling on the same flight on MH091. The male student is quarantined at the Sungai Buloh Hospital in Kuala Lumpur while the lady student is in a Penang hospital. Both are recovering.

Lots of others who have either been on the same planes (MH091 - from Newark to KL - and AK5358 - from LCCT in Sepang to Penang) and those in contact with the two infected students are on home-quarantine for seven days. This is the time required for symptoms to surface should one be infected with the A(H1N1) virus. An entire AirAsia crew of 15 on Flight AK5358 is also grounded and quarantined. This is the crew that flew from the LCCT in Sepang (KL) to Penang. There is no mention of the plane though. It goes without saying that it has to be adequately disinfected before it is allowed in the air again.

Yesterday, my blog stats showed a hit from this query on Google: Is it safe to travel to KL in view of the swine flu outbreak? It is only natural for people to wonder if KL is still safe as a travel destination or even as a transit point considering that AirAsia now flies to Stansted, London. This could be the most direct flight for anyone from the Southern Hemisphere flying to London.

For those of you who are wondering, have no fear. The two students infected are the only two confirmed cases and they are recovering well. There is no other case and so far all tests on those quarantined showed negative results. People here on the street are not wearing masks. According to our Health Ministry, there is no need to don face-mask.

Malaysia is on high alert and has stepped up efforts to control the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1). Security is tighter at entry points into the country.

Rest-assured that Malaysia is still safe to travel to. Welcome to Malaysia!