2 Influenza A Suspects Safe
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
An additional presumed case of H1N1 flu was reported here on Sunday, raising the number of suspected cases in South Korea to two in total.
On top of the two ``presumed patients,'' Seoul has one person confirmed to have tested positive to the influenza Saturday, which first broke out in Mexico last month.
The latest presumed case is a 62-year-old woman, who was on board the same airplane with the nation's first confirmed patient ㅡ a nun who visited Mexico through April 18 to 25.
The two landed at Incheon International Airport on April 26 along with 335 other passengers using a plane that departed from L.A.
``The new patient is being quarantined at a military hospital,'' said Lee Jong-koo, director at the Korea Center for Disease Control and prevention. ``Her case was established Saturday night, and quarantined early this morning.''
According to the center, the new suspect showed a minor symptom during immigration process so that she was exempt from extra health check program. But she found herself having high fever and sore throat starting Friday. She visited a nearby hospital the following day and segregated herself from others after taking antiviral drug prescribed by the hospital.
The center said her condition is getting better and no suspicious symptoms were detected among her family members.
``We suspect she was contracted with the influenza on board,'' Lee said. The center plans to confirm the identities of the remaining 335 passengers in cooperation with the immigration authorities to conduct health checkup as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said it had postponed the release of the confirmed patient, scheduled for Sunday, for health security concern.
``Her condition is good enough to be released,'' the ministry said. ``But we decided to extend the period until she is confirmed to have completely no risk of transmitting the disease to others.''
South Korea has sent a medical team to Mexico soon along with about 2,000 doses of antiviral Tamiflu and Relenza, 10,000 face masks, and other relief supplies. The medical team will provide services until around mid-May.