RIYADH: The Ministry of Health announced Thursday the second swine flu death in the Kingdom.
“The victim, an Indonesian woman resident, 28, was hospitalized Monday at the Dammam Central Hospital where her case was diagnosed as having the H1N1 virus,” a ministry announcement said. “Appropriate treatment was given, but her condition deteriorated and she died at 9:00 a.m., on Thursday.”
The first swine flu death occurred Wednesday in Dammam. He was a 30-year-old Saudi man.
The ministry called on the public not to panic. The rate of death from swine flu is still well below that of common flu.
Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghalani told Arab News that the ministry would be transparent in dealing with all information regarding swine flu.
Al-Mirghalani said the ministry had alerted all health departments in the Kingdom to take extra precautions. He said the people should follow Health Ministry guidelines, which are in line with those of the World Health Organization. Frequent hand washing and covering the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing help prevent the spread of the virus.
He said the ministry would provide the public with the latest developments related to the spread of the virus in the Kingdom.
Since May 27, more than 300 patients have been affected by the flu in Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. More than 95 percent of the flu victims have recovered, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health.
Considering the arrival of pilgrims during Ramadan, the government is currently implementing a separate program for Umrah and Haj pilgrims who will visit the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. A quarantine facility has been set up at airport arrival lounges to isolate Haj and Umrah pilgrims, who show swine flu symptoms.
