CAIRO: A total of 589 new cases of swine flu (also known as H1N1) were reported on Jan. 9-15. Twenty six resulted in death, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. The rate was 75 percent lower than the same period in 2010. The 26 swine flu-related mortalities represented a 48.9 percent decrease from the same period last year, said Ministry of Health spokesperson Abdel Rahman Shahin. The number of swine flu cases was slightly decreasing in comparison to last week's 733 cases and 28 deaths. Health officials predicted that a substantial decline will take place at the end of January as the temperature begins to rise. Until then, the health ministry expects that high numbers of swine flu cases will be reported. Seventy-five percent of the people who died from swine flu this week fell within the “high risk” H1N1 group. That “high risk” group includes those who are pregnant and/or suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes or other chronic conditions affecting the heart, lungs, liver or kidneys. Deputy Minister of Health for Precautionary Affairs Nasr El-Sayed advised all citizens to take needed precautionary measures against the virus in the upcoming period. Such precautions include routinely washing hands, proper ventilation in the home and workplace, covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, and avoiding crowded places whenever possible. Ever since the H1N1 virus started reappearing in Egypt last October, there has been a total of 3,803 reported cases. Shahin noted that the rate of swine flu increase in Egypt is within the normal range expected of seasonal flu, adding that one year ago — from Oct. 2009 to Jan. 2010 — there were 14,846 H1N1 virus cases. Furthermore, Shahin advised anyone who experiences flu-like symptoms to immediately report to a doctor, especially if the person is a child, elderly, a pregnant female, and/or someone who suffers from chronic diseases. There are 450 hospitals around the country that are actively monitoring swine flu activity. Shahin stated that Tamiflu is available at all public hospitals free of charge, and that it may also be purchased from private pharmacies for LE 70.
