THE 22-year-old woman, who is Singapore's first confirmed H1N1 case, is currently isolated at CDC2 and treated with anti-viral medication, Tamiflu. --PHOTO: AP
THE 22-year-old woman, who is Singapore's first confirmed H1N1 case, had a fever of between 39 and 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning.
Otherwise, she 'remained clinically comfortable and merely showing signs of a typical seasonal flu,' said Associate Professor Leo Yee Sin, who heads the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) on Wednesday.
Briefing reporters on the case, Prof Leo said the patient, a student who returned from a study trip to New York, tested positive of Influenza A and H1 by the laboratory at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
'She was brought into the Emergency Department between noon and 1 pm, and by 5 pm the results were known and she was admitted to CDC,' she said.
A further test at the National Public Health laboratory using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test confirmed that she had the Influenza A H1N1. Laboratory confirmation of her infection was made by midnight. The patient is currently isolated at a room in CDC and treated with anti-viral medication, Tamiflu.
Prof Leo also commended the student for her vigilance, saying she did 'a great job by identifying herself and indicating her travel history to the doctor when she was not feeling well.'
The quick-thinking GP was also commended for carrying out an appropriate triage (process of prioritising patients according to how severe medical conditions are), and reacting quickly by sending the student to the CDC.
Asked when the patient could be discharged, Prof Leo said: 'We are taking daily nasal and throat swabs from her. As soon as they register negative for the antigen then would she be able to return home.'
A fellow student and a professor who travelled with her have been quarantined as a precautionary measure, along with the student's boyfriend who met her at the airport and the family maid, said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
'The doctors told me that she has no other underlying medical conditions so I think like most other patients elsewhere... her recovery should be uneventful but we will see how things go,' he said.
The A(H1N1) virus has caused 92 deaths and infected nearly 13,000 people worldwide since it was first uncovered last month, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The woman, who was in New York from May 14 to 24 for a study trip, returned home aboard a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday, during which she developed a cough, said a Health Ministry statement.
Mr Khaw said the risks of a spread of the virus to others in the city-state was low as the student was isolated within six hours of her arrival.
'There really should be no cause for alarm, especially in this case - the patient has been most responsible,' said the minister. He added that officials were now trying to track up to 60 people who had come in close contact with her on the plane, some of whom had already left Singapore on connecting flights.
