Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
The source article is in Portuguese:
http://www.ogirassol.com.br/pagina.php?editoria=Últimas Notícias&idnoticia=8772
Published on 10/08/2009
Point of View
Opinion: "H1N1: Lessons from Argentina", by Mario Eug?nio Saturn
Why the Flu H1N1 deserves our attention? Because it kills healthy people! I arrived in Argentina on June 15 last, the service of the Ministry of Science and Technology. I had the opportunity to monitor the flu since the beginning. And here was an aggravating, were in the middle of a political campaign.
The Health Ministry announced here on the last day 6, important information about the disease. The main information is that the H1N1 virus is not only dangerous to the so-called risk groups, as was believed at the beginning of the epidemic, all at risk. Of the 337 confirmed deaths so far, 53% were people with no disease.
Until the first of August were 762,711 reported cases of influenza-type diseases in Argentina, and the Ministry of Health estimates that 93% are influenza A (H1N1). The other 400 deaths confirmed, Argentina will become the country with more deaths by influenza. The United States has reported 356 fatalities.
And despite the climate of peace that is here, we conclude that the influenza activity is still high. One problem is the delay in reporting of cases. And the reported cases are receiving care in health posts. So the mortality rate in Argentina, 0.04%, are higher than the global rate of 0.02%.
During the worst time, it reached 60,000 contacts per week. When they started to take up preventive measures, such as reprogramming of surgeries and recall of retired doctors and students of medicine to strengthen the hospitals. The infection began to decrease after the suspension of the class of sick leave for workers who are in high-risk group, and using antiviral drugs for the treatment of seriously ill patients. There is a consensus within the ministry that isolation, especially the closure of schools was essential.
While in Buenos Aires focused the greatest amount of contagion, was in Santa Fe that had more deaths, almost triple that in the capital. The infectious disease believe that this happened because patients delay in seeking medical care. Information and warning was more intense and effective in metropolitan areas than within the country. By the end of June, the average time between the appearance of symptoms and medical consultation was five days. Back in July, the average time dropped to one day. In Santa Fe, the delay was still greater. Thus, adequately inform the company is very important.
In early July, the Ministry asked the Mexican authorities to know that their experience. That was important, for example, to abandon practices that are useless as healthy people use mask, worse when the same USA. The masks are for patients and health professionals. Brazil should also ask the U.S. authorities, Mexican and Argentine and hear what works or not.
Saturn Eugenio Mario de Bariloche - Argentina, Senior and Technology of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Professor of the Institute of Municipal Higher Education Catanduva congregated and Marian.
Contact: mariosaturno@uol.com.br
http://www.ogirassol.com.br/pagina.php?editoria=Últimas Notícias&idnoticia=8772
Published on 10/08/2009
Point of View
Opinion: "H1N1: Lessons from Argentina", by Mario Eug?nio Saturn
Why the Flu H1N1 deserves our attention? Because it kills healthy people! I arrived in Argentina on June 15 last, the service of the Ministry of Science and Technology. I had the opportunity to monitor the flu since the beginning. And here was an aggravating, were in the middle of a political campaign.
The Health Ministry announced here on the last day 6, important information about the disease. The main information is that the H1N1 virus is not only dangerous to the so-called risk groups, as was believed at the beginning of the epidemic, all at risk. Of the 337 confirmed deaths so far, 53% were people with no disease.
Until the first of August were 762,711 reported cases of influenza-type diseases in Argentina, and the Ministry of Health estimates that 93% are influenza A (H1N1). The other 400 deaths confirmed, Argentina will become the country with more deaths by influenza. The United States has reported 356 fatalities.
And despite the climate of peace that is here, we conclude that the influenza activity is still high. One problem is the delay in reporting of cases. And the reported cases are receiving care in health posts. So the mortality rate in Argentina, 0.04%, are higher than the global rate of 0.02%.
During the worst time, it reached 60,000 contacts per week. When they started to take up preventive measures, such as reprogramming of surgeries and recall of retired doctors and students of medicine to strengthen the hospitals. The infection began to decrease after the suspension of the class of sick leave for workers who are in high-risk group, and using antiviral drugs for the treatment of seriously ill patients. There is a consensus within the ministry that isolation, especially the closure of schools was essential.
While in Buenos Aires focused the greatest amount of contagion, was in Santa Fe that had more deaths, almost triple that in the capital. The infectious disease believe that this happened because patients delay in seeking medical care. Information and warning was more intense and effective in metropolitan areas than within the country. By the end of June, the average time between the appearance of symptoms and medical consultation was five days. Back in July, the average time dropped to one day. In Santa Fe, the delay was still greater. Thus, adequately inform the company is very important.
In early July, the Ministry asked the Mexican authorities to know that their experience. That was important, for example, to abandon practices that are useless as healthy people use mask, worse when the same USA. The masks are for patients and health professionals. Brazil should also ask the U.S. authorities, Mexican and Argentine and hear what works or not.
Saturn Eugenio Mario de Bariloche - Argentina, Senior and Technology of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Professor of the Institute of Municipal Higher Education Catanduva congregated and Marian.
Contact: mariosaturno@uol.com.br