Influenza A H1N1

That's the official name of the virus that's been causing a lot of concern for health and government authorities worldwide.

The official comment of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control as of today is:

5 May 2009 -- As of 16:00 GMT, 5 May 2009, 23 countries have officially reported 1490 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 822 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 29 deaths. The United States has reported 403 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.



The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (140), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (9), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (57), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (27).

Now that I have officially updated the report, everyone should simply log in to their websites in order to get updated.

I am peeved with the fact that I am being barraged by patients on the "gravity" of the situation. For the record, while I am pleased that many health and government authorities are showing concern in order to contain this problem so that it does not turn into a pandemic, I am disappointed with the way media has been handling this scenario by turning it into a circus.

More children and people die from Tuberculosis in this country and in most developing countries each day. More people die from the complications of seasonal flu in the Philippines annually. But did media put up a hype regarding these statistics? Nope. It's not worth the story. And the knee jerk reaction of media has put everyone, including brainless heads of government in a frenzy mode! They have paved the way for pandemonium to strike.

I am not undermining the ability of the H1N1 virus to turn into a pandemic. As a health care provider, I am more concerned with what is currently the problem in this country.

I had a patient the other day asking if Bioflu was alright for the H1N1 virus. Duhhh!!?!?! and super-Duh!!?!?!?! Mars calling Earthling! She watches too much telenovelas and is being dragged to becoming next to dumb and dumber. I also had another mother asking if Ceelin was good for preventing flu. I asked her where she picked up that information and she said the ad was all over the radio.

Case in point is how the public can get easily swayed by media - whether it is sensationalism or it is endorsement through false advertising, I do not know where the Advertising Board of the Philippines is emanating from allowing these looney bins to put up advertisements that are capitalizing on fear and panic of this nation of idiots.

There are more deaths in Mindanao each day, more people dying because of cardiovascular disease complications, more morbidity and mortality from road accidents because of public transportation that is depressingly irrelevant in this country, and the government is spending so much money on knee-jerk reactions while the businessmen are capitalizing on the gullibility of the people.

Last Sunday, during mass, the sermon was replaced by a letter from the Archdiocese calling for moral change. This moral revolution was another oxymoronic advice from prelates who need the moral revolution from within the church and translated to those big businessmen who capitalize on the poor. I cannot fault the Arroyo administration for being what it is today - the face of graft and corruption. But the pointing arm of the Church in the letter just shows you where this nation is going to...the dogs.

What has transpired in this nation since my last blog on Swine Flu has been a scenario of panic, fear and disinformation on a minute virus.

It's funny because this virus which is preventable with good hygiene and better science seems to have the edge over the human beings in this world.

Virus rules!!!!