A pregnant woman with symptoms of the AH1N1 influenza virus is being treated in a public hospital in Greater Santo Domingo, while the Minister of Public Health, Freddy Hidalgo, is waiting for the results of the tests on four people who died with symptoms of the influenza virus, in order to establish whether AH1N1 was the cause. This weekend, Hidalgo received a report that the patient might have the disease. She is currently under treatment and out of danger.
Apart from the cases under investigation, so far in the country the deaths of seven patients with the same symptoms of this type of the flu have been confirmed. Hidalgo Nunez said that the results of the investigation into these deaths could be ready by the middle of the week. The deceased include pregnant women and elderly people. Since the first fatalities suspected of being from the AH1N1 virus were published, the Ministry of Public Health issued an epidemiological alert at all public health facilities so that personnel are aware of the symptoms in patients, especially the chronically ill, the elderly, children and pregnant women, who are the most vulnerable if they contract this influenza. The Minister of Public Health stresses the need to be attentive to pregnant women, since this illness affects the maternal mortality rate, which so far this year has taken 59 lives. “The other thing is to teach the population that we should not be alarmed if we have the flu, because it is normal at this time of the year with the rains and the changes of temperatures,” he told Diario Libre reporters.