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Published: Monday September 7, 2009 MYT 4:29:00 PM
Updated: Monday September 7, 2009 MYT 5:58:32 PM

A(H1N1): Two students with symptoms to sit for UPSR (Update)


For four days running, no new fatality, says Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR: Two students who are down with influenza A(H1N1) symptoms are among the 517,908 candidates nationwide who will sit for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination beginning Tuesday.

Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said preparations had been made for the two, one in Johor and the other in Penang, to sit for the examination in hospitals.

He said it was among the measures taken to curb the spread of influenza A(H1N1) among UPSR candidates who would sit for the examination at 8,289 centres nationwide.

The Education Ministry had also allocated about RM5mil for items like masks, hand sanitizer and thermometers for UPSR candidates, he told Bernama here on Monday.

He said an isolation room was also made available at all the examination centres to accommodate those with body temperature of above 37.5 degrees Celsius during screening which would be conducted upon their arrival at their respective centres.

Alimuddin said a total of 32,944 invigilators would be placed at UPSR examination centres this year.

Of the total 517,908 registered candidates sitting for the UPSR examination, 510,125 or 98.5 percent are from schools under the Education Ministry and government-aided schools, while the remaining 7,783 students or 1.5 per cent are from private schools.

Meanwhile, for the fourth day running, no death from influenza A (H1N1) was reported and the death toll remains at 73 since last Thursday.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said on Monday, however, 228 patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) had been warded while 248 more had been discharged.

He said only seven of 48 H1N1 patients undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) were new patients.

The others included 11 patients with chronic diseases, children under five years (seven), morbid obesity (nine), pregnant woman (one) and respiratory patient (one), he said in a statement.

He said of 1,283 ILI patients, 16.7 percent of them were confirmed H1N1 positive including 48 patients in the ICU. Ismail warned smokers, especially youngsters, that they were at risk of being infected with influenza as the smoke inhaled could affect the respiratory system and expose them to the virus.

"Nonsmokers should avoid inhaling tobacco smoke," he added.

Ismail advised the public to continue to observe the H1N1 safety guidelines. - Bernama

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