HCM CITY – A patient diagnosed with swine flu (A/H1N1) has died while another is in critical condition in Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City, health officials said on Friday.

The HCM City Preventive Health Centre said that a 29-year-old female patient from Thủ Đức District died from swine flu on May 30 after five days of self-treatment at home.

A male patient, born in 1969, who had Type 2 diabetes, was transferred from Thủ Đức Hospital on June 5 after eight days of self-treatment at home to Chợ Rẫy Hospital, Dr Lê Quốc Hùng of the hospital’s Faculty of Tropical Diseases said.

The patient, who was diagnosed with respiratory failure and pneumonia, was quarantined for further treatment after testing positive for swine flu.

According to his family, the man had been driving a bus in late May that included tourists who were ill with flu. After the man returned home, he began to experience a high fever and muscle pain, and his health condition worsened.

The Health Preventive Medicine Centre said that patients who are obese (which was the case of the woman who died) or who have diabetes are more susceptible to contracting swine flu.

Thủ Đức Hospital, after eight days of inspection, said that it had not detected any trace of swine flu after the admission of the male patient.

The Health Preventive Medicine Centre urged everyone, especially children, the elderly, pregnant women, obese people, and those with chronic conditions to be vaccinated; take extra care of their personal hygiene; avoid coming into contact with people with flu symptoms; and seek medical help if they have swine flu symptoms.

Swine flu is a mild seasonal flu with typical symptoms being high fever, coughing, headaches, muscle pain, sore throat, and runny nose.

It is spread through the respiratory system when a patient sneezes, coughs or comes into contact with objects contaminated by the virus.

Most infected people can recover in a week without special treatment.

On June 1, 16 people tested positive for swine flu after showing symptoms such as high fever and muscle pain at Từ Dũ Maternity Hospital.

One day later, the number of infected people rose to 28, including eight health staff from the hospital.

HCM City’s Từ Dũ Maternity Hospital said the swine flu outbreak was under control. – VNS