Cairo Governor Abdel Azeem Wazir ordered the closure of two school classes for 15 days after the discovery of new infections of H1N1, also known as swine flu.
The first new case discovered was that of a student at el-Mohammadiya preparatory school for boys and the second was of a female student at the Sara Taqiy-eddin experimental primary school in the Waili educational area, according to Abdel Fattah Gado, deputy head of the Education Directorate. Medical analysis confirmed a third infection of a five-year-old child at Hosni el-Aqqad kindergarten. The school was closed for one week following the discovery of two further H1N1 cases, said Gado.
Meanwhile, Ain Shams University decided to close a floor at a female student dormitory following the discovery of three infected cases among female students, according to a statement from the university yesterday. 12 female students living on the same storey were quarantined at the student hospital and have been undergoing tests. Only three cases were reported at the university, according to its statement.
In Helwan, Mustafa el-Shazli, head of the New Cairo Educational Directorate, said that Egypt Language School will remain closed following the discovery of two H1N1 infections there last week. One infected student at the school died after he was administered the drug “Voltaren”.
El-Shazli noted that the student in question had not appeared at the school since last Tuesday when a decision was taken to close it down. El-Shazli stressed that the student did not die from H1N1, and added that the Ministry of Health had issued a statement detailing the circumstances of the death within 72 hours.
El-Mahallah Fever Hospital in the Delta governorate of Gharbiya held a 45 year old man after he arrived from Saudi, and were also holding a baby of 10 months who had arrived with her family from Jordan after it was suspected that both had contracted swine flu. Samples from the two were sent to the Ministry of Health central labs. All persons who had contact with the two suspected cases are under surveillance until the results of medical analyses are known.
In Beni Suef governorate the University Hospital also held a student from the Faculty of Science who was suspected of having developed the flu.
In Minya governorate, the Fever Hospital held a six year old girl who was another suspected H1N1 case. Samples were taken and sent to the central labs and the student was given a week off school.
In Ismailia, Dr Mohamed el-Sharqawi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, denied that any investigations had taken place regarding medical negligence in the treatment of the fourth casualty from H1N1 who died last Thursday. El Sharqawi said that such reports were unfounded. He denied that samples had not been taken from the patient until after she died, signaling that samples were taken from her after she arrived at the hospital. She was administered the Tamiflu drug and other drugs for obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes but did not respond, el-Sharqawi added.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
