The recent fatal cases of the H1N1 (swine flu) Influenza Type A virus at the San Fernando General Hospital have really and truly scared the population. However, prior to this problem becoming a pandemic, many other influenza viruses were killing T&T residents every year in much larger numbers. They were diagnosed with ’Atypical Pneumonia’’. They were not responding to antibiotics as patients in our nation’s hospitals.
As a medical doctor, I want the public to be aware of the fact that viruses are micro-organisms (germs) that cannot be treated with antibiotics, but require antiviral drugs. I would like to inform the nation that antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria, another form of micro-organism.
The use of certain types of antiviral drugs (Relenza, Tamiflu or Amantadine) for respiratory viruses is the world standard of treatment. These were not available in the T&T and the wider Caribbean for decades prior to the H1N1 viral pandemic; nor were vaccines widely used for immunisation against seasonal flu in our region. Again, that is standard practice in other countries like the US.
I find it also interesting that the publicity being generated by the swine flu deaths has pushed the ongoing never-ending battle against dengue onto the back burner, even though dengue will kill more persons in T&T this year than swine flu. Dengue has almost the exact same symptoms as swine flu. Also HIV/AIDS, which has infected almost three per cent of the Trini population (or one in 30 persons, over 30,000 citizens and rising) will kill more people this month than swine flu ever will.
We need to wake up in this country and understand that public education campaigns and prevention of infections must remain ever present in our minds for all infectious diseases all the time!
