influenced many people, including my graduate teacher, husband and
wife, who is too busy with school work to even brown the internet.
I had just taken my flu vaccine at Sabah Medical Centre and enquired
about Tamilflu. It costs RM150. But there is no Relenza.
Relenza is the second line defense in case Tamilflu failed because the
virus had become immune to Tamilflu. If the virus is not killed
immediately before being allowed to spread to other patients, we would
have an outbreak of Tamilflu resistant version of Swine Flu.
It made me wonder why Malaysian government had discouraged the use of
Tamilflu despite its low cost. Even parents who are definitely below
the poverty line were willing to fork out this amount of money just to
save their loved ones and yet they were not allowed to do so.
It had caused needless deaths so far and I'm sure many more will come
and many more were not reported because they were not tested for any
flu at all. Only those with underlying diseases will be tested for
Swine Flu despite evidences so far that 45% of the deaths are just
normal people, i.e. those with normal underlying diseases.
It will mean that the deaths in Malaysia is under reported by about 2
times. Now I wonder if the 36 year old doctor who died of pneumonia
after exhibiting flu like symptoms were ever tested. He is not in the
risk groups mentioned for testing.
Testing will cost RM1000 and will take 3 days. It is useless to use
Tamilflu then despite a slim chance that it may help some people.
Tamilflu is only guaranteed to cure flu if taken 48 hours after the
onset of flu symptoms.
So why bother to test for the Swine flu? Just administer Tamilflu lah.
If Malaysia cannot afford it, let those who can afford RM150 not be
prevented in buying them despite doubtful Swine Flu cases.
AFter all, even normal flu can kill so what is the point of developing
Tamilflu if not to prevent unnecessary deaths??? While at the same
time removing the sufferings caused by flu symptoms that can be
extremely uncomfortable and may case permanent damage even if patients
survive.
It it were to stop the emergence of Tamilflu resistant flu, Japan had
been liberally using Tamilflu for all flu and yet they are not the
reason why Tamilflu resistant versions appear. It appeared only in
those nations that tried to restrict the use of Tamilflu. Worse, in
Malaysia, it encourages the emergence of Tamilflu resistant drugs by
not supplying RElenza in order to stop the emergence of any Tamilflu
resistant flu as had been done in Japan and other developed nations.
WHO should have mandated that Relenza be provided along with Tamilflu
in order to increase the useable life of Tamilflu in fighting killer
viruses, including normal flu.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/8/nation/20090808160539&sec=nation
A (H1N1): 3 more deaths, taking total to 18
By BEH YUEN HUI
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has reported three more deaths related to
Influenza A (H1N1), taking the total number of fatalities to 18.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Saturday that aside
from the deaths, 53 new cases were reported throughout the country.
"The situation very serious. We need the public to cooperate with the
authorities to stop the spread of the virus. We can do it if we
cooperate," he said at the opening of a Japan Health Clinic at HSC
Medical Centre here Saturday.
Among the three dead is a five-old-boy suffering from encephalitis who
died at the Kuantan Hospital on Friday.
The other death is a 16-month-old with hyperthyroidism and pneumonia
at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital who also died on Friday. The child had
had fever, cough and running nose for a week before seeking treatment
last Sunday.
The last death was a 63-year-old asthmatic from Selayang with
tuberculosis and pneumonia who died Thursday at the Selayang Hospital.
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