Surge of Flu Cases in Argentina and Chile

indigo girl · Jun 26, 2009

Here is a video in English on the Argentine situation. Reminds me of the early reports coming out of Mexico.

http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_sa/2009-06-25/955247966739.html

indigo girl · Jun 30, 2009

Argentina's Health Minister Resigns

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/5187

Argentina Health Minster Graciela Ocaña has resigned and has already left her office at the Ministery after president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner accepted the minister's resignation.
Lieutenant Governor of Tucumán Doctor Juan Manzur will be appointed as the new Health Minister.
Ocaña had many discrepancies with the Kirchnerites starting back in May when the minister dumped a testimonial candidacy for the mid-term elections, questioning its legality. Things kept tightening up lately on how to fight the spread of H1N1 influenza, which has already taken the lives of 29 people.
Ocaña started to confirm the rumors about her leaving last week when Buenos Aires province Health Minister Claudio Zin showed certain resistance to support the extreme measures Ocaña advised to take to fight the swine flu, such as closing shopping malls, cinema theatres, and the most controversial one: the annulment of the June 28 elections.

indigo girl · Jun 30, 2009

Argentina Cases and Deaths Higher Than Official Reports?

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=338181&CategoryId=14093

Argentina registered two new deaths from swine flu, bringing to 28 the number of people who have died from the AH1N1 virus in the country, officials said.
The government of the central province of Santa Fe confirmed that two young people died on Sunday.
One of the patients had respiratory problems, but it is not possible to "go too deep into the clinical characteristics of the patients," Santa Fe Health Secretary Debora Ferrandini said.
Hours after she spoke, the Santa Fe government announced it was suspending classes at public schools to slow the spread of the flu.
The decision likely means that students in the province of 2.7 million people will be out of school until the end of next month since the scheduled winter break begins on July 13.
Health officials in Argentina, the country that has reported the most deaths from swine flu in South America, confirmed Saturday that a nationwide health emergency might be declared to cope with the outbreak.
"The emergency does not mean that we'll close everything, the emergency is a framework for being able to order the direct purchase of medicines or to mobilize personnel," Buenos Aires province Health Secretary Claudio Zin said.
Buenos Aires province has reported the largest number of flu cases and deaths.
Numerous people wore masks while voting Sunday in legislative elections to avoid catching the flu, while polling places in high-risk areas provided hand sanitizers and changed the system for closing the envelopes used to hold ballots so voters would not lick the seals.
The number of people infected with the flu in Argentina is far higher than the official figure of 1,587 and hospitals are on the verge of collapse, health organizations say.

indigo girl · Jul 1, 2009

The Chilean government called for doctors to work with the public health system

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=258358&postcount=1

Another not so great translation, but it is very clear that the healthcare delivery system in Chile is very stressed.

http://www.aguasdigital.com/actualid...25775&efenew=1
The Chilean health minister, Álvaro Erazo, now called health professionals to collaborate with the public system, which is saturated due to respiratory disorders and consultations for the high number of doctors who are on sick leave.
Influenza A, which has killed 15 people in the country, where there are 7342 infected, is a disease that has contributed to the collapse of medical emergencies.
In addition, the emergency department of the Chilean public and private hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of queries from patients affected by seasonal influenza and syncytial virus, which attacks infants and toddlers. To this must be added that between 20% and 25% of doctors in the public service are on sick leave, also affected by respiratory conditions.
"The call we are doing is fundamental in order to have doctors, nurses, quinesiólogos with, and we will do through our website, where people can register and can, with appropriate remuneration, could count on the reinforcement staff, "said the minister.
In that sense, invited to send an email to create a list of doctors and review the availability of time to have their services paid.
So far, the influenza A virus has shown a high transmission in the population, as was expected in winter, where conditions are optimal for circulation, said a Health Ministry report released Tuesday.

indigo girl · Jul 1, 2009

Emergency Measures In Argentina As Death Toll Rises

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2009/07/emergency-measures-in-argentina-as.html

The world would be a better place if journalists would expunge the word `Panic' from their lexicon.
Panic is people running terrified through the streets in advance of a 60 foot tall Godzilla-like creature (which, btw, in my book would be justified panic).
Panic isn't staying home, avoiding crowds, wearing facemasks, keeping your kids home from school, or taking them to the hospital if they look sick.
Call that `concern', or even `worry' if you like.
But it's hardly panic.
I've read the following story several times. I'm unable to find any evidence of `panic', despite the headline.
Argentina is, obviously, struggling to deal with the Swine Flu pandemic - and the death toll continues to rise. Emergency measures have been enacted; schools are closed, and people are asked to stay home for the next few days.

indigo girl · Jul 1, 2009

Number of H1N1 cases, deaths is much higher than officially reported

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/5100

The number of H1N1 cases in Argentina already surpasses 10,000 and those cases are concentrated in the city of Buenos Aires and in Buenos Aires Province.
The number of deaths as a result of the virus is also much higher than official government reports have said, and there have been petitions to declare a National Sanitary Emergency.
According to officials, many cases have gone unregistered. The registered cases are those that are the most complicated, but health insurance companies and certain medical centers do not report many cases.
According to Doctors Without Borders, the good news is that the virus is not so lethal as previously thought, but prevention is necessary as well as an early diagnosis.

luvschoolnursing, LPN · Jul 1, 2009

Thanks for the info. I was wondering how the southern hemisphere is doing. Do you think this is a reflection of what we can expect in the fall/winter?

indigo girl · Jul 2, 2009

Thanks for the info. I was wondering how the southern hemisphere is doing. Do you think this is a reflection of what we can expect in the fall/winter?

This is what worries me. Is the situation in Argentina worse than Australia for a reason? I wonder. I don't have the answer. I keep looking at the translations and wonder what we are missing about what is happening there.

They did not close the schools in time, and they did not ban public gatherings. I think that this is part of why they are in trouble. They should have learned from Mexico.

indigo girl · Jul 2, 2009

H1N1 outbreak to peak soon, number of deaths unclear

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/5268

They think that the flu will peak in two weeks??

Personally, I think that this is well into the hopes and dreams category as Dr. Niman at Recombinomics.com would say.

So, they base this announcement on what? Someone seems to have forgotten that this is not seasonal flu, and the northern hemisphere is still having cases well into summer.

I like that they have given medical leave to workers that are high risk like asthmatics and pregnant women before they get sick. But, do they have paid sick leave?

As part of the measures to combat the outbreak of H1N1 influenza, 17 provinces in Argentina have suspended classes including Buenos Aires province and City: Santiago del Estero, Entre Ríos, Corrientes, Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, Neuquén, Misiones, Córdoba, Catamarca, San Luis, Río Negro, Chaco, Mendoza, La Pampa and Tierra del Fuego.
The high schools of the Buenos Aires University-Pelegrini, Nacional Buenos Aires, ILSE-suspended classes, to prevent a possible outbreak of the disease.
The members of the Supreme Court of Justice are meeting today to analyze which measures to adopt as a result of the outbreak of swine flu, judicial sources said.
The court is expected to suspend judicial activity for a few weeks, to prevent contagions among public servants of the judicial branch.
Meanwhile, the health minister of Buenos Aires province, Claudio Zin, told the press that according to official statistics, "five percent of the swine flu cases can be serious," and that the rest of the cases normally heal without the need to hospitalize the patient. As a result of the winter season, Zin said, the outbreak of swine flu is expected to peak in two weeks.
Government authorities from the province and City of Buenos Aires have decided to extend winter holidays, and bring them forward to next Monday. The health emergency has been declared in both districts. Buenos Aires City's Health Minister Jorge Lemus assured that "the City's health system has suficient medications" and that "hospitals are over-crowded, but not colapsed." For the moment, cinemas, theatres, and restaurants will remain open.
The municipality of La Plata authorized pregnant state workers not to attend work to prevent contracting the illness, the government said.
The municipal authorities also suspended classes in all the schools in the city, the capital of Buenos Aires province, and granted medical leaves to workers who are considered "in risk," including asthmatics, workers with low immune defences and with bronchial problems.

indigo girl · Jul 2, 2009

20% of Severe Cases Were Not in a High Risk Group

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=258982&postcount=1

This is not good. If they think that the virus has mutated, then they need to let the rest of the world look at the viral sequences from these severe cases. I am sure that someone is collecting them. I wonder WHO?

This is a translated article as you can tell.

The president of the Society of Infectious Diseases, Paul Bomvehí told Clarín that this sector is not affected by background disease. In 48 hours begin to suffer the consequences of the virus.
By: By Pilar Ferreyra
In our country, fell from influenza A first stage of a case imported from Mexico or United States, a second stage where the boys were infected in schools (still cases of sick children). There are now third phase, which started ten days ago, which appeared a new group of patients: healthy people between 15 and 60 years who have no history of respiratory disease or are at risk, according to experts told Clarín consulted. In 48 hours must be placed by a severe respiratory illness, usually pneumonia.
According to the president of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases and chief of infectious diseases CEMIC, Pablo Bomvehí, about 20 percent of the inmates belong to that group of healthy people. "They start with a flu-like table and are 24 to 48 hours with symptoms of a severe pneumonia: cough and breathing difficulties. For that reason must be placed to receive oxygen. The cure in these individuals is very variable. We had very quick responses and in two days the patient is at home, but also internments extended two weeks, "Bomvehí described.
In CEMIC, one in five inmates by Influenza A (H1N1) belong to this group of young healthy adults. The specialists are unaware of the reasons for this phenomenon. "One of the hypotheses derived from observation of what happened with avian flu, is that healthy patients can cause severe pneumonia because his body is defended with an exaggerated inflammatory response that causes damage," explained Bomvehí.
The head of infectious diseases at the Hospital of Central Chaco, Ernesto Iliovich, "may be an indicator that the virus is mutating." Although Iliovich and the rest of the infectologists admit that it is still too early to tell. For medical infectologists Jorge Alejandro San Juan, head of intensive care at the Hospital Muñiz other hypotheses that could explain the origin of this new group of patients. "It depends on how each one reacts to the virus. We do not know why some do not and severe pneumonia. But this reaction may be genetically determined."
In the Fernandez Hospital also admitted that there were several housed in this new group. "We do not know how many there are because we have no reliable statistics but it is also true of people usually considered higher-risk patients of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular, immune depressed, HIV-positive there is a proportion of young people who repeatedly admitted with severe respiratory tables "said the head of the Infectious Diseases Hospital Fernández and scientific director of the Foundation Guest, Pedro Cahn.
In the Muñiz Hospital also had a couple of housed of this new group of patients. "I have one bed occupancy by the H1N1 that had never had the seasonal flu: Six people in intensive care, seven other therapists and six more in the middle room in general, described and fired San Juan:" Some of the persons who died belonged to this new group. " Most healthy people who had to be placed pneumonia caused by influenza A (H1N1) or pneumonia that combining virus and also bacteria such as pneumococcus.

indigo girl · Jul 2, 2009

Argentines Questioning Vote During Outbreak

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=259123&postcount=1

From an article in the NY Times, there is alot of information in this article.

The first case, of course was in a tourist returning from Mexico.

Again, we see that political decisions have made the situation worse.

Of interest are the comments on the hospital surge, and HCW absenteeism.

As Argentina struggled Wednesday to control a fast-spreading outbreak of swine flu, some health officials criticized the government’s decision to go ahead with national congressional elections last weekend.
With at least 43 fatalities, Argentina surged into third place in the world for swine flu deaths this week, passing Canada and now trailing only the United States and Mexico.
Health officials complained that the country had paid too little attention to the growing threat and started the epidemic with a relatively small supply of antiviral drugs and too few ventilators for seriously ill patients.
The health officials said the worsening situation in Argentina, where the Southern Hemisphere winter is taking hold, serves as a warning about the potential for swine flu to spread quickly with colder temperatures and about a lack of careful planning.
“We are facing a grave problem here,” said Dr. Jorge Yabkowski, the president of the Federation of Health Professionals of Argentina. “Hospitals here have very limited capacity to deal with this epidemic.”

On Wednesday, emergency rooms that normally receive 200 patients had to attend to 1,000, and in Buenos Aires Province the minister of health, Claudio Zin, said about 40 percent of health care workers were not showing up, either because they were ill or were concerned about catching the virus. The province had called up retired doctors and medical students to help out.
Late Wednesday, Ms. Ocaña’s successor, Dr. Juan Manzur, 40, said in a statement that the government would free up more than $260 million to combat the flu and said that the government would close all schools and universities around the country starting Monday.
Argentina’s Health Ministry declined repeated requests on Wednesday to discuss the epidemic.
The election was considered critical to buoying flagging support for President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner. Mr. Kirchner ran for Congress in Buenos Aires Province, a move considered vital in shoring up backing for the Kirchners’ party ahead of the 2011 presidential election, in which one of them was expected to run. Mr. Kirchner failed to finish first in the election, a serious blow to the pair’s political future.
Ms. Ocaña could not be reached on Wednesday to confirm if she had asked that the election be delayed. A secretary in the press office at the presidential palace said Wednesday night that no press officer was immediately available to comment on health officials’ criticisms of the government’s decision to go ahead with the vote.
On Sunday, election workers wore surgical masks while voters waited in long lines in the cold.
The Kirchner government did not delay the vote because that would have required “a political decision” that was never made, Dr. Jorge San Juan, an infectious disease specialist at Hospital Muñiz in Buenos Aires and a coordinator of the emergency health committee, said Tuesday on the radio.
His assertions were backed up by Dr. Hugo Amor, president of the Association of Health Professionals in Buenos Aires Province.
“We asked last week for the country to declare a national state of emergency, but for political reasons this was not done,” Dr. Amor said in an interview on Wednesday. “That may have been a costly decision.”
The latest deaths included a boy and three other children from the same school and a 37-year-old nurse from a hospital in Berazategui, on the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires.
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., chief of disease control for the Pan American Health Organization, said doctors needed to be told that patients with serious symptoms needed to be put on Tamiflu within the first 48 hours.
But Argentina, with a population of 40 million, has a stockpile of just 2.25 million courses of antiviral drugs, mostly Tamiflu, and some doctors say distribution has been a serious problem. The United States, with a population some seven times larger, had 50 million courses of treatment in its Strategic National Stockpile when the pandemic began.
Dr. Yabkowski and others said that Chile had been administering Tamiflu in all suspected cases to contain the virus, one reason that Chile may be experiencing fewer deaths. In Argentina, there was not enough of the drug to do that, he said.
Argentina reported its first confirmed case of swine flu on May 7, an Argentine tourist who returned from Mexico in April.