Two newly confirmed cases of the deadly Influenza A (H1N1) virus this week have pushed the number of persons in Jamaica with the flu to 21, but all the victims continue to elude death.

Chief medical officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester, revealed yesterday that the two new cases are children from the Corporate Area and St Catherine.

She said the confirmations came to the ministry's attention on Wednesday.

Campbell-Forrester disclosed that the condition of one of the children is unquestionably related to travel while information on the other child remains unclear.

Reacting to concerns raised about the local spread of the virus, Campbell-Forrester asserted that there was a decline in reference to travel issues.

"Local spread is now an inevitability," she said.

Campbell-Forrester said there were no plans to resort to drastic measures such as closing down the institutions to which the children are associated, as was the case in Manchester earlier this week.

Improving strategies

She said the ministry was constantly reviewing and improving its strategies to deal with each new case.

The latest confirmations bring to five each the number of cases in the Corporate Area and St Catherine and push the total number of confirmed cases in the two parishes to 10.

"We have been fortunate so far that we have not had any deaths and we have been quick on the uptake in treating those persons who have underlying conditions," Campbell-Forrester said.

She attributed this to rapid action, on the part of the health ministry, in treating persons with underlying conditions.

She maintained that there was no cause for alarm in any of the parishes, including Manchester, where the majority of educational institutions were shut down earlier this week in the aftermath of two confirmed cases in the parish.

Take precautions

Campbell-Forrester said the ministry had to be guarding against a run on public-health facilities, which is likely to jeopardise the effective treatment of persons who are in genuine need of health care. "All you need to do is to follow the simple procedures ... if you see symptoms coming, you need to take the necessary precautions, and if they persist, contact your health-care provider."

Reacting to reports that persons from Manchester were opting to wear an assortment of masks to ward off the dreaded disease, Campbell-Forrester said the ministry was not recommending that course of action at this time and suggested that the people of the parish were overreacting.

Protecting yourself from the flu

Since the spread of the influenza A (H1N1) virus is now local, the numbers of infected cases is expected to increase, and people are advised to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.

1. If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home and take regular influenza medication until you are well.

2. If symptoms persist or get worse or if you are experiencing severe symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhoea or difficulty breathing, you should visit your doctor, health centre or hospital immediately.

3. Wash hands regularly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitiser.

4. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to limit the possibility of transmission of any influenza virus.

Tips provided by the Ministry of Health. For more information about influenza A (H1N1), members of the public may call the ministry's toll-free line at 1-888-663-5683 seven days a week from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.