Another 144 people were detected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus on Wednesday, the health ministry reported, warning that the epidemic was outpacing the common flu.

The country has recorded 1,104 new cases of H1N1 infection over the last week, an increase of 6.3 percent from the week before, according to the latest figures from the health ministry’s Preventive Health and Environment Department.

As of Wednesday, Vietnam’s tally was 5,648, including six deaths and 4,522 patients who have fully recovered.

Despite the rapid spread of the disease, its peak is yet to come, said Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan. He predicted this might happen late this year and early next year.

Also at the meeting, Cao Hung Thai, deputy head of Disease Examination and Treatment Administration, said their review of all H1N1-related deaths showed that the patients were admitted to hospitals rather late and only given Tamiflu around six days after they fell sick.

The delay rendered the treatment ineffective, Thai said, adding that most of them had chronic diseases, or other problems including malnutrition that worsened their situation.

Drawing on the experience, the government has instructed hospitals at district and commune levels to provide swine flu treatment to patients directly instead of sending them to provinces and city level hospitals, the meeting heard.

Any patient with critical symptoms has to be given the antiviral drug immediately without awaiting test results, Huan said.

Source: Thanh Nien, SGGP