The Ministry of Health is reporting that the new Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine has been working well and has allowed for an increase in the testing capacity of the laboratories. This has facilitated testing on the backlog of samples, which has resulted in the Ministry detecting an additional eleven (11) confirmed cases of Influenza A(H1N1) bringing the total to eighty (80).

All persons have recovered as they were treated as soon as they presented with symptoms. “We do not wait on test results to initiate treatment,” says Director of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services in the Health Ministry, Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse. “We continue our appeal to persons in the high risk group, especially pregnant women to seek medical treatment as soon as they begin to experience flu-like symptoms, however mild,” she said. Other persons in the high risk group for complications from Influenza A(H1N1) include those with chronic illnesses such as obesity, asthma, diabetes and hypertension and children under five years old.

Persons are being urged to continue to take the recommended precautions including washing hands frequently with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer and covering nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing.

Meanwhile, the Ministry is reporting that it has seen a decline in the number of cases of Acute Respiratory Infections or influenza like illnesses in the past three weeks through its routine surveillance.

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