RIYADH: Ninety-eight percent of the 3,500 people who contracted the H1N1 virus in the Kingdom have recovered from swine flu, the Health Ministry said.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the ministry said the health condition of thousands of pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah was satisfactory.
“The number of swine flu cases reported among pilgrims in Makkah since the beginning of Ramadan was 28. None of them have died and all of them have recovered,” the ministry said.
As many as 265 swine flu cases have been reported in Makkah since the virus first appeared in the Kingdom on May 27. In Madinah, a total of 206 cases have been reported including 17 during Ramadan.
“We have not noticed any increase in swine flu cases during the Umrah season of Ramadan compared to previous months,” the ministry said. It also reported the death of four Saudis including three women recently, bringing the total number of swine flu deaths in the Kingdom to 23, adding that most of them died of previous health complications.
“The rate of swine flu deaths in the Kingdom stood at 0.66 percent, coping with the international rate,” the ministry pointed out.
