Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: Oman's Ministry of Health has responded to rumors about rampant H1N1 infections occurring in Dhofar's Sultan Qaboos Hospital, explaining that there were two deaths of H1N1 deaths in 2019 at the hospital till September and that the hospital is well equipped to handle the cases.
According to a statement by the Directorate General of Health Services in Dhofar: "There were 78 confirmed cases of H1N1, and two of these cases led to deaths. One happened in July and another in August."
Not a single person has been infected with the disease in the hospital itself, according to the Directorate General. On the contrary, the hospital works to protect people from the disease.
"We assure to everyone that the people with H1N1 came to the hospital with the disease and were not infected at the hospital. Furthermore, only two of the people infected were expats. We also assure everyone that all preventive and treatment measures are sound and adhere to global protocols."
According to the Directorate General, "Talk has been spreading on social media in Dhofar about H1N1 spreading at the hospital itself," leading to rumors that spread fear and misinformation about the situation."
The office also explained that after 2009, Dhofar began to experience some cases of H1N1 among its list of respiratory diseases between May and September, which mainly infected pregnant women, the elderly, as well as people with other health conditions.
"1779 cases of people with respiratory diseases arrived at the hospital from the start of 2019 until September, 599 were suspected of having H1N1, and 78 were confirmed to have the disease."
According to the directorate, an increase in respiratory diseases between May and September is, "Due to a shift in the climate, as well as an influx of people arriving into the governorate. Many people arrive at the hospital long after they become infected."
