Swine Flu kills 2 in Trinidad

Two people have died in Trinidad and Tobago from Swine Flu and officials are investigating a third death to determine if the victim died from the H1N1 virus that causes the deadly flu. The hospital has put its intensive care unit under quarantine.

Health Minister Jerry Narace called a news conference Wednesday to confirm what the media reported a day earlier.

All three persons died at the San Fernando General Hospital. "Unfortunately, we are reporting the first two H1N1 related deaths," Narace said adding that so far there are 158 laboratory confirmed cases in the country.

He also confirmed that authorities are investigating a third death. There are also five other H1N1 cases pending confirmation at the San Fernando Hospital, he said.

“The threat was and remains a very serious one. We are currently facing a serious situation that we continue to manage," Narace said as he called on citizens to remain calm and follow all the necessary health guidelines.

Dr Albert Persaud, director of the South West Regional Health Authority which manages the hospital, told reporters the victims were adult males aged 30 and 42 who entered the hospital with "respiratory distress".

He said one of them was quite late in the course of his illness, while the other came from a private institution. They died while being treated at the Intensive Care Unit just over 24 hours after being admitted. The deaths came between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

Persaud told reporters the patients were given "the best care" and were attended and managed by experts in severe respiratory illness.

Narace insisted that what happened in San Fernando will not affect the November Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). He said there are no plans to make any changes and the CHOGM will go ahead as scheduled.

The minister said he expects 260,000 vaccines to arrive in the country by mid-November for distribution first to pregnant women, high risk groups and children.

Health patients who are not in high risk groups or do not have any complicated ailments are not required to be treated with anti-virals.