Second wave of H1N1 flu expected in July
Thailand should brace itself for second wave of H1N1 influenza which could occur as early as July of this year – warns a leading viral expert.
Dr Thirawat Hemachudha, director of the World Health Organisation’s Collaborating Centre for Research and Training on Viral Zoo noses says that this outbreak is similar in to Spanish flu which broke in 1918 killing 20 million people worldwide.
Scientists say that there are four steps to indicate that disease can cause pandemic. The four steps are a) a new strain of virus b) humans contracting virus c) virus is non-seasonal d) the virus spreading quickly and widely.
The H1N1 virus has gone through the three steps and it remains to be seen when it reaches the last step.
In related new, a Thai boy was admitted in a major hospital on May 13th after developing flu symptoms. On conducting laboratory tests, it was concluded that he has normal flu and not influenza flu. More and more people have started getting done their physical checkups after developing flu like symptoms and as a result the number of quarantined patients had gone up and is expected to rise further.
Meanwhile the Thai health ministry has distributed several thousands of antiviral Oseltamivir nationwide to hospitals and public health stations and further plan to import new antiviral Zamamivir as a precautionary step.