Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=1032-10
Swine Flu death toll rises
17/10/2009
Three people have now died in Portugal due to the A H1N1 flu virus (otherwise referred to as Swine Flu) or flu-related complications, one of whom was a 32-year-old woman who had just given birth and had been in hospital since August 18th.
This latest death occurred during the early hours of October 12th and just 24 hours after a second death caused by A H1N1-realted complications.
The woman, who was admitted to Lisbon?s Curry Cabral Hospital in August and was in its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the time of her death, is believed to have had no underlying illnesses. Portugal?s Ministry of Health announced she died from ?bilateral pneumonia caused by the A H1N1 flu virus?. The baby was delivered by emergency C-section and despite spending a few weeks in Intensive Care is said to be in good health.
Later reports offered more detail on this situation, and it emerged the Angolan-Portuguese woman had in fact visited three other hospitals in Portugal with flu-like symptoms and was sent away, her symptoms being dismissed, before finally being admitted to a fourth private hospital, Hospital da Luz.
She had been visiting relatives in Portugal, in Lisbon, as she had planned to have her baby in this country.
The baby was delivered by emergency cesarean-section at 33 weeks because of the mother?s critical state of health.
The mother, named as Lucinda, only saw her baby by photograph after maternity staff took a picture of the newborn and showed it to her. Mother and baby were not allowed within closed contact of each other to avoid transmission of the virus. Lucinda was then transferred from the Hospital da Luz to Lisbon?s Curry Cabral Hospital days after her baby was delivered. All A H1N1 flu cases in Lisbon are channeled to the Curry Cabral Hospital.
The baby was released from the Intensive Care unit on the same day her mother died.
The third death occurred just 24 hours after a second death which took place in the S?o Jo?o Hospital in Oporto, where a 53-year-old man died also from ?bilateral pneumonia? caused by Swine Flu.
He had been in the hospital?s ICU since September 14th and also has an infection in his abdomen.
Health officials later announced his death had been caused by a bacterial infection and not by the A H1N1 flu virus.
On September 26th the first death in Portugal to be caused by the A H1N1 virus was announced, a 49-year-old man who died in Lisbon?s Curry Cabral Hospital, also because of pneumonia brought on by the virus.
In related news, Health Minister Ana Jorge has confirmed there will be no delays to the delivery of A H1N1 flu vaccines to Portugal.
Only five European countries have not yet ordered the vaccines, which Minister Jorge confirmed would be available in Portugal as of October 26th, as initially foreseen.
?What I said about the vaccines is that they would soon be arriving in Portugal and they would be available on October 12th, not that Portugal would have them on that date. They will only be available at a later date for logistical reasons; only two weeks after their production will they be arriving in Portugal, ready for vaccination as of October 26th?.
Edition: 1032
Swine Flu death toll rises
17/10/2009
Three people have now died in Portugal due to the A H1N1 flu virus (otherwise referred to as Swine Flu) or flu-related complications, one of whom was a 32-year-old woman who had just given birth and had been in hospital since August 18th.
This latest death occurred during the early hours of October 12th and just 24 hours after a second death caused by A H1N1-realted complications.
The woman, who was admitted to Lisbon?s Curry Cabral Hospital in August and was in its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the time of her death, is believed to have had no underlying illnesses. Portugal?s Ministry of Health announced she died from ?bilateral pneumonia caused by the A H1N1 flu virus?. The baby was delivered by emergency C-section and despite spending a few weeks in Intensive Care is said to be in good health.
Later reports offered more detail on this situation, and it emerged the Angolan-Portuguese woman had in fact visited three other hospitals in Portugal with flu-like symptoms and was sent away, her symptoms being dismissed, before finally being admitted to a fourth private hospital, Hospital da Luz.
She had been visiting relatives in Portugal, in Lisbon, as she had planned to have her baby in this country.
The baby was delivered by emergency cesarean-section at 33 weeks because of the mother?s critical state of health.
The mother, named as Lucinda, only saw her baby by photograph after maternity staff took a picture of the newborn and showed it to her. Mother and baby were not allowed within closed contact of each other to avoid transmission of the virus. Lucinda was then transferred from the Hospital da Luz to Lisbon?s Curry Cabral Hospital days after her baby was delivered. All A H1N1 flu cases in Lisbon are channeled to the Curry Cabral Hospital.
The baby was released from the Intensive Care unit on the same day her mother died.
The third death occurred just 24 hours after a second death which took place in the S?o Jo?o Hospital in Oporto, where a 53-year-old man died also from ?bilateral pneumonia? caused by Swine Flu.
He had been in the hospital?s ICU since September 14th and also has an infection in his abdomen.
Health officials later announced his death had been caused by a bacterial infection and not by the A H1N1 flu virus.
On September 26th the first death in Portugal to be caused by the A H1N1 virus was announced, a 49-year-old man who died in Lisbon?s Curry Cabral Hospital, also because of pneumonia brought on by the virus.
In related news, Health Minister Ana Jorge has confirmed there will be no delays to the delivery of A H1N1 flu vaccines to Portugal.
Only five European countries have not yet ordered the vaccines, which Minister Jorge confirmed would be available in Portugal as of October 26th, as initially foreseen.
?What I said about the vaccines is that they would soon be arriving in Portugal and they would be available on October 12th, not that Portugal would have them on that date. They will only be available at a later date for logistical reasons; only two weeks after their production will they be arriving in Portugal, ready for vaccination as of October 26th?.
Edition: 1032