Woman, 82, dies of swine flu complications

Chev Chris Galea

Aug 20th 2009, 16:08

I am so sorry to hear and wish to offer my condolences to her relatives and friends.
May she Rest In Peace.

J Micallef

Aug 20th 2009, 12:42

@L Galea - forget about the statistics, and instead concentrate on keeping yourself healthy.

Didn't you notice anything funny how the first H1N1 cases were reported precisely as soon as the Governement's information campaign on the flu ended?

Of course, the good old Gov did not want to look stupid and unprepared with flu cases cropping up, so instead - I suspect - did a timing exercise.

Anyone calling H1N1 as a mild flu is just adopting the usual maltese-cowboy approach. Whereas humans have either developed immunity or have been vaccinated for most of the other illnesses, this one is 'new', and human reaction to it has not been standard.

Someone mentioned pneumonia - although this kiler still claims victims, doctors are usually quite surprised when someone dies from this inflammation (usually caused by bacteria and/or viruses, but other forms exist).

I am sure that no one wants to die or lose any relatives to the Swine Flue just because they are old or have a health problem.

Definately people should not panic or start stories, but should instead follow the simple, clear instructions being given by the competent authorities.

J Micallef

Aug 20th 2009, 12:17

Funny how the subject has been diverted to the Malta/Gozo holidaying community.

I've just been to Gozo - clean (or rather, relatively cleaner than Malta), affordable, and welcoming as usual. Somewhat surprised with the number of foriegners (of different skin colours - yellow, black, white) that have settled and are working at the sister island, despite the 'lesser' opportunities over there.

Back to the subject of swine flu - those who want to carry on with their life without a care for this flu are free to do so, while those who want to lock themesleves up as a precaution are equally so.

But care is definately required. Good to remember that a number of fatalities abroad were not linked to any underlying serious medical condition. I heard about a perfectly healthy Maltese person who is still suffering after 3 weeks of flu, as it got more complicated.

There is no indication whether the virus has mutated any further, either.

Even if not fatal, its long quarantine could cause havoc to workplaces should it spread. Last thing we need if the economy starts to pick up is a pandemic.

George Cremona

Aug 19th 2009, 00:07

@H. Grima

Jiddispjacini nghidlek li ma fhimt xejn. Fl-ebda waqt ma jien ghidt li l-"Ghawdxin ma rridux izuru l-gzira taghna." Anzi jien ghidt il-kontra. Ghidt li l-istqarrijiet tad-dipartiment tas-sahha gerrxu lill-Maltin u barranin milli jigu Ghawdex minhabba l-kazi tas-'swine flu' li l-istess dipartiment ripeutament qal li hawn f'Ghawdex.
@G. Schembri
Overcharging is not only experienced in Gozo but also in Malta, in every country in the world. Is the decrease in the English, Italian and German tourists due to any insults that may have been hurled against them by the Maltese? How stupid and puerile!!!

Galea. L

Aug 18th 2009, 21:55

Gordon Pace
A few weeks ago if I remember correctly it was on the media that on a particular day there were no cases but on the very same day I downloaded the report from the European Centre for Disease Control where Malta reported 27 cases. Why is this Mr Pace? Why are figures not published daily? Is it because the people are no longer believing anything published by the Government and authorities? And why are only those who are considered vulnerable being swabbed? Will those who have swine flu and are not swabbed and told about it spreading the disease? Thanks for informing the media that they can request information anytime, so I suggest that the media take up this offer and publish a daily count. Have a nice day Mr Pace.

A Cassar et al
Can you tell me who is running the country? So who is responsible?

Jason Debono
If its a mild case of influenza, then why did the WHO and all the countries issue so many warnings and scrambling for the vaccine? If its not important to know the figures, why are they reported to disease control centres/WHO?

Rachel Spiteri

Aug 18th 2009, 21:32

So sorry.... Condolences to her family...

H Grima

Aug 18th 2009, 19:58

@ G.Cremona
Ghaziz Sur Cremona,
sejjer zball jekk tahseb li ahna l-Ghawdxin ma rridux lill-Maltin jigu izuru l-gzira taghna. izda pero ma nahsibx li taghtina tort jekk ahna nhossuna 'mahnuqin' meta jkun hawn l-'invazjoni'! Ahna imdorrijin nghixu hajja calma minghar hafna genn u hbit ma nies kull fejn tmur. imbghad hemm punt iehor... hemm Maltin... u hemm MALTIN... bhall ma hemm Ghawdxin u GHAWDXIN... ma tistax tiggeneralizza !

Christopher

Aug 18th 2009, 19:43

OOPS - Thanks for correcting me Mr Mario Vella Lurenti - Mine was quite a lame mistake :S hehe - Anyhow like you said . My deepest condolences to her family :( She'll be in our prayers

J. Debono

Aug 18th 2009, 18:56

@ Ludwig Flask

It is a paranoia. 82 year old people, who have cardiac and respiratory problems, can even die from the complications of a common cold, let alone influenza!

Do you know how many people die from seasonal influenza every winter? No, because they are not published, but let me assure you that it is much more than the one dead from swine flu.

THIS IS PANIC AND PARANOIA AT ITS VERY BEST.

Why is it that newspapers never state hoe many people die from pneumonia, bronchitis, septicaemia, etc. etc. etc. THESE are the killers.

Swine flu is just a mild viral infection that does not need even antiobitics to be cured, whilst the above mentioned diseases can kill a healthy adult with massive doses of antibiotics given intravenously, BUT journalists think it is more important that 1 person is killed by swine flu than hundreds of patients being killed by bacterial infections.

Joseph Camilleri

Aug 18th 2009, 18:53

@George Cremona

Perhaps the handful of cases reported in Gozo were not an alert initiated by the Department but the result of a query submitted by journalists, and to which the Department gave the information?

At least that is my understanding of Gordon Pace's contribution.

G.Schembri

Aug 18th 2009, 18:34

@ George Cremona. It was not A(H1N1) that kept Maltese away from Gozo. It was the Gozitans who overcharge them then insult them and tell them to stay away like they did after Carnival.

L. Cutajar

Aug 18th 2009, 18:30

I totally agree with the fourth comment of the list by Lawrence Calleja. Avoid crowded areas as much as you can.

Anthony Roberts

Aug 18th 2009, 18:29

My goodness what arguments there are over the swine flue. For those of you who think that having an English name means arrogance, my husband is Maltese but he has an English name and he is far from arrogant.

My husband is 79 nearly 80 years old and being diabetic is vulnerable. The precautions we have taken are to keep away from crowds, but not to the extent of ruining our lives. Common sense prevails. Most of the cases in the UK died because of underlying complications. England is very good at scaremongering and Malta is catching up very quickly.

We need to calm down and look at this dilemma for what it is and everyone needs to take the precautions that the government has put forward. No one has said lie down and die, it's ridiculous to even think along those lines. We must be careful and do the best we can but using handkerchiefs when we cough of sneeze.

I am sorry for the 82 lady who died, and my condolences go to her family. M. Roberts

George Cremona

Aug 18th 2009, 18:03

@Gordon Pace
"We actually go a step further and alert the press ourselves about anything out of the ordinary."
Were the handful of cases reported in Gozo "anything out of the ordinary" that had compelled you to "go a step further and alert" the Maltese and foreigners alike to stay away from our beautiful island?

Joseph Camilleri

Aug 18th 2009, 18:00

@Galea L

Oh dear.. this is becoming so boring and predictable. Everything that happens somehow gets blamed on the government. Seriously.. is it at all possible that at least once you would consider the possibility that government is not responsible for everything that happens in our lives??

Ludwig Flask

Aug 18th 2009, 17:04

Is there a media ban on swine flu reports?
Is Gozo still the mostly hit from the Maltese Islands?

@ Jason Debono: Paranoi? This lady didn't die of normal influenza, or other... if HD report is right, she died "...from complications of A (H1N1) swine flu..."!

Karl Glanville

Aug 18th 2009, 16:11

To Ray Buhagiar:

Although what you say might be a glimpse of reality, it is comment like these that induce panic and fear in lot of people. What O. Iongo, replied is that a regular flu might have been fatal as well to this poor lady, is correct. We have never been told in winter times if a regular flu might have been fatal to other people with complications. This time however it`s in the limelight because swine flu was given lot of publicity.
For those guys who are really afraid of swine flu for the times of November onwards, let me tell them that apart from the swine flu, they also must be afraid about the floodings and bad weather that those times bring with them!

O.longo

Aug 18th 2009, 15:52

whilst conveying my condolences to the elderly lady's family.....
it is very likely that even a bout of "regular" influenza could
have probably been fatal to her in her very delicate state of health.

Ray Buhagiar

Aug 18th 2009, 15:46

In November/December as the winter/wet day roll in we will be in a worse situation. And let's hope that the virus will not become dangerous through molecular change

J. Debono

Aug 18th 2009, 15:28

@ Galea L.

Please read my comment before you reply.

I stated that we are NOT swabbing to check for swine flu, unless the patient is a high risk patient and we deal with Public Health. Therefore NO ONE knows how many people are infected by swine flu, though it is easy enough to calculate.

To correct you.

Only a small part of GP service is run by the Government, more than 75% is private practice.

Nobody is Hiding any figures, the truth is no one knows how many people were infected by the swine flu. And the last thing, IT IS NOT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE ACTUAL FIGURES, THIS IS LITERALLY A PARANOIA!!

Rowena Scicluna

Aug 18th 2009, 15:03

@ Kenneth Bowman:
Well said!!

Mild cases could still be H1N1 cases, and therefore STILL highly transferable to persons WITHIN vulnerable groups.

G.Portelli

Aug 18th 2009, 14:59

@ Galea L.

Now you're making us sick not the swine flu. Why does it always end up with something to do with the government. It's people like you who continue to confirm that labour still needs to do about another 25 years in opposition, so that those of your sort, who stay all day at their computer blaming the government for all the things that happen on these islands will call it a day and start talking serious politics.

Rowena Scicluna

Aug 18th 2009, 14:59

@ Anne Marie Bonello and every body else who forgot how to read:
Did I say "confirmed" cases??
I said "realistic" cases.........

And I'm still eagerly awaiting an answer.

D. Callejja

Aug 18th 2009, 14:49

Kenneth Bowman sounds like a British name or perhaps could BE one of us, however without sounding rude i always thought that a Arrogance is a British pastime. i might be wrong of course, but this is all i have been hearing lately, surely Mr.L.Callejja can express his opinion same as you, after all Malta is independent and a free country Right?
Don Coreleone.

Robert Caruana

Aug 18th 2009, 14:30

The 244 cases are those that have been 100% confirmed as being swine flu through laboratory tests. Since these tests are only carried out on vulnerable groups (e.g. those with underlying serious medical conditions,children under 5 etc) all other influenza like cases in otherwise healthy individuals (i.e. most of the local population) may or may not be swine flu. However, given that seasonal influenza is rather uncommon at this time of the year it is very likely that many of the influenza cases around are actually swine flu. So it is very likely that there have actually been thousands of cases, but it is not a case of hiding facts or anything of the sort.

Except for people with underlying conditions where even a common cold can be dangerous, swine flu is another form of influenza that will, in most cases go away in a few days without any treatment (or perhaps some paracetamol type of flu remedy to lower fever and relieve discomfort). Just as we never know the number of cases of seasonal influenza we will never know the actual number of cases of swine flu.

cynthia borg

Aug 18th 2009, 14:29

.................if i m not mistaken some time ago BBC reported 7 deaths in a week , out of which 5 of them were healthy people with no know underlying condition...........and pls at least someone considers that yes, to safeguard our children who are super spreaders, why not, to close schools until the vaccine is ready to administer and effective......

Anne Marie Bonello

Aug 18th 2009, 14:14

@ Rowena Scicluna and every body else who forgot how to read

the 20,000 you are talking about WERE NOT SWABBED! So they cannot be included in the confirmed cases! This article explains clearly that only vulnerable persons showing signs and symptoms are swabbed.

The resources being spent on swine flu testing are enough as they are! who do u think would have to check the swabs if the GPs swabbed every??? - the answer is those working in the labs at mater dei....now can u imagine them leaving all their other important work and investigations which may mean diagnosing some1 early enough to save their life just to process the 20,000 swabs and have real statistics!!!

If you had real statistics you would be grumbling about the government once again for wasting maltese taxes on all those tests!!!

by now probably 50% of malta has come to contact with the swine flu seeing as were so densely populated anyways.

Rowena Scicluna

Aug 18th 2009, 13:50

@ Jason Debono: I agree with you. But please clarify a small point...
If you have seen to date, between 40 & 60 patients with H1N1, let's take an average of 50. If there are about 400 GPs in Malta, and on average, they have seen seen the same amount of H1N1 infections as you have, then the realistic amount of H1N1 cases is closer to 20,000 than the 244 mentiond in this article. Or have I got it wrong?

Louise Borg

Aug 18th 2009, 13:32

@ Paul Gauci...

..."noholqu panic"...u ejja mela l-maltin jippanikjaw!!! I already know what the topic will be at every place of work, shop etc. tomorrow morning!! wait until cikku l-poplu reads this article on tomorrow's newspaper & watches tonights' news on tv ha tara!!!! I heard rumors that scholastic year will start in January to avoid children spreading the flu....hasra mhux teacher ha jkolli 3 months holidays extra!

Kenneth Bowman

Aug 18th 2009, 13:28

@Lawrence Calleja
There is no need for any arrogance.

The 235 confirmed cases are people who have been swabbed and checked for swine flu and who form part of the vulnerable group.
Many people have reported flu like symptoms and have not been checked for swine flu. Because in the most part symptoms have been mild, ie. mild fever, fatigue etc which don't seem to last more than a day or two, many people have dismissed these symptoms as a simple bug.
Just because they have not be tested for swine flu, doesn't mean they didn't have the virus.

Gordon Pace

Aug 18th 2009, 13:25

I refer to the comment made by Ms/Mr Galea L.

Your allegations are serious and completely unfounded.

Kindly note that any member of the press can have the latest numbers and details simply by contacting us. And actually this is exactly what happens both during weekdays and weekends. We actually go a step further and alert the press ourselves about anything out of the ordinary. This situation is a perfect example, which also proves your allegations to be completely incorrect.

Should Ms / Mr Galea need a better explanation s/he can contact me on gordon.pace@gov.mt

Best regards
Gordon Pace
Communications Coordinator
Parliamentary Secretariat for the Elderly and Community

Galea. L

Aug 18th 2009, 13:19

Jason Debono
Who is in charge of running the country and the health services Jason?

You said you saw between 40 - 60 cases of swine flu yourself and similar figures were confirmed by other GPs.
So taking the lowest figure of 40 x 400 = 16,000 cases.
You have confirmed that the Government is HIDING the real number of cases?
WHY?
Can anyone trust the Government when you yourself have confirmed that it is hiding the real figures?
Who is to blame then if not the Government?

Paul Gauci

Aug 18th 2009, 13:14

@ GaleaL ....

This morning i didn't feel like going to work ... because of the weather ... should i blame the government as well? Please Advice.

and yes, Alla hares il-gvern kellu joqod jaghmel counter bis-Swine Flu Cases f'Malta u kull xorta ta' mard iehor. Nispiccaw b'allarm shieh u noholqu paniku.

A Cassar

Aug 18th 2009, 13:10

@L Galea
Unbelievable....you always have to stick the governement in the middle!!
We are not testing anyone who has an upper respiratory chest infection to see if he/she has this swine flu......so one can only say how many confirmed cases we have. The government has no reason to hide anything (1 case of swine flu or 100,000 cases, what does it have to hide?).

The Public health department is run by a group of professional and apolitical individuals, with the only intention of safeguarding the health of the country.

So stop being paranoid Ms Galea!!!

George Cremona

Aug 18th 2009, 13:10

I wish to convey my condolences to the family of the old lady that has passed away.
Yet I feel disappointed that the Honourable Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea and his department were initially so quick to declare and harp upon that Gozo had the highest number of cases but now are being so reluctant to give us account of the number of cases by locality. Why? Have the Health Authorities realized how harmful were their public overstatements to the Gozo economy?

K Xuereb

Aug 18th 2009, 13:01

@ Lawrence Calleja

Let's take your advice shall we? Might as well curl up in a corner of a room and wait for death.
You prove the wisdom of whoever said the words that everyone dies but not everyone truly lives.

J. Debono

Aug 18th 2009, 13:01

@ Galea L.

As usual you are blaming everything on the government without knowing the facts.

Nobody knows the number of swine flu cases, simply because, it is a mild form of influenza virus (though it can be severe in people with multiple medical problems), and therefore it is not the case of swabbing healthy people. In fact swabs have been done on vulnerable people only, and 1 death in app. 200 vulnerable people still makes this influenza a very mild disease.

Speaking of figures, as a GP I suspect to have seen app. 40 - 60 cases of swine flu, based on symptoms and examination of patients, and this seems to correspond with the no. of cases other GPs I have talked to have seen. There are app. 400 GPs in Malta.

S.Abela

Aug 18th 2009, 12:59

I agree with Adrian Borg. Great comment.

My Condolences to the family.

Galea. L

Aug 18th 2009, 12:46

R Agius
You are right Agius and that's because the government is hiding the real figures. Last time I downloaded the report from the European Centre for Disease Control and it was stated that in one day there were 27 cases, but no such mention was made in the media What the health authorities are doing is not giving these reports to the Maltese media and only refer to those vulnerable cases because they cannot do otherwise. So how can anyone trust the Government?

S Keyes

Aug 18th 2009, 12:42

@ Lawrence Calleja. What a sad overreaction! You really need to wake up. People have still been as active all over the island, Isle of MTV, Football, Waterpolo, Feasts and we have 1 death of an 82 year old. It is very sad for the family but Lawrence Calleja you need to get a grip!!!! She was 82 and 'suffered from a chronic heart and respiratory conditions'. Im very sorry for the family but we need to put all this in perspective!

Adrian Borg

Aug 18th 2009, 12:39

@ Lawrence Calleja

I'd better die of Swine Flu, than live life without football!

I suggest you stop going to your crowded small local grocer, going to supermarkets etc. Ooopsss you'd still die ... of hunger!

R Agius

Aug 18th 2009, 12:14

@Lawrence Calleja
It looks like we now have the first of 400,000 medical opinions on the 'real numbers' of swine flu and its prevention......

Lawrence Calleja

Aug 18th 2009, 12:03

Do not treat swine flu as a notmal cold. It is not. Take all necessary precautions as prevention is better than cure. The 235 reported cases is not a realistic figure as the real number is much higher. The most places were swine flu is being transmitted to other persons is during gatherings of large crowds. Therefore it is of utmost importance to avoid FEAST BAND MARCHES and to avoid attending FOOTBALL/WATERPOLO MATCHES. THESE GATHERINGS ARE THE REAL CULPRITS WHERE SWINE FLU IS BEING TRANSMITTED.

C Vidal

Aug 18th 2009, 11:30

I think that this is something expected when there are other underlying conditions besides age, so no need to alarm the people with such news. The same happens every year during seasonal flu.

Mario Vella Lurenti

Aug 18th 2009, 11:28

Dear Mr Debattista,

I don't think the old lady is terribly upset about this now! She's probably in a better place! But I would send condolences to the family.

Christopher Debattista

Aug 18th 2009, 11:17

My Sincere Condolences to this old Lady :( RIP