A NEW wing opened last night to screen patients suspected of having Influenza A (H1N1), even as two more people arriving from abroad were confirmed to have the virus, bringing the number of cases to seven.

The wing, set up originally at the Communicable Disease Centre 2 (CDC2) to screen Sars patients, was opened for the first time as the health authorities anticipate an increase in the number of H1N1 cases.

Since May 4, 137 home quarantine orders have been served. Out of these, 102 are still active while 35 people have completed their orders.

Unable to predict how many more people would become ill, TTSH decided last Friday to open the new wing.

Said Associate Professor Eillyne Seow, head of the emergency medicine department at TTSH: 'With every new case we have, there is a certain number of close contacts we have to screen. This is on top of the baseline of patients that GPs send.'

TTSH is now screening 18 to 34 people a day. The CDC2 wing can hold 80 to 100 patients who are being screened, compared with 25 at the decontamination area in the emergency department.

Prof Seow added that the emergency department at the hospital will continue to screen suspected cases arriving from places other than the affected areas at a separate decontamination area.

Also, the MOH has formed the National Scientific Committee to review and make recommendations for Singapore's strategy on H1N1.

Chaired by Professor K. Satku, MOH director of medical services, the 10-member committee includes clinicians, scientists and public health experts from the public sector.

Read the full report in Tuesday's edition of the Straits Times.

juditht@sph.com.sg