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Suspected COVID-19 patient in Semarang dies of swine flu
Better safe than sorry: Indonesian crew members of the World Dream cruise ship eat lunch aboard the Dr
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etter safe than sorry: Indonesian crew members of the World Dream cruise ship eat lunch aboard the Dr. Soeharso naval hospital ship as it heads toward the COVID-19 observation center on Sebaru Kecil Island in Thousand Islands regency of Jakarta on Thursday.(Antara/Dispenal)
A suspected COVID-19 patient who died in Semarang, Central Java, on Sunday tested positive for the H1N1 virus, which is a known cause of swine flu, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said amid rising concerns over the global spread of the new coronavirus.
“It was not COVID-19; we only found H1N1, which is a typical flu. It was verified twice through polymerase chain reaction [PCR] testing. [The patient] tested negative for the new coronavirus both times,” he said on Thursday.
“The medication for H1N1 is widely available. It’s called ometamisir; the Health Ministry has an entire supply of it.”
Prior to his death, the 37-year-old male patient was treated in an isolation room at Kariadi General Hospital for nearly a week.
Fathur Nur Kholis, a doctor from the hospital, said the patient had succumbed to bronchopneumonia, a type of pneumonia that gradually damages the lungs. The patient had difficulty breathing and eventually suffered multiple organ failure, he added.
Bronchopneumonia is commonly caused by a bacterial, viral or fungal infection.
Responding to questions as to why the patient had exhibited symptoms resembling those of COVID-19, Terawan said swine flu and COVID-19 were similar. Therefore, the patient’s body was treated in accordance with the established protocol to contain H1N1, he added.
The H1N1/09 strain of swine flu was first detected in Mexico in 2009. The pandemic lasted until late 2010 and while the World Health Organization placed the death toll at some 18,000 people, scientists from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the figure to be more than 284,000.
According to Kariadi General Hospital medical services head Nurdopo Baskoro, the hospital was told by the Health Research and Development Agency on Wednesday evening that the patient had tested negative for COVID-19 but positive for H1N1.
The negative result came a day after the patient was cremated.
The patient reportedly returned to Indonesia on Feb. 12 from Spain via Dubai and presented symptoms of COVID-19 after his arrival, including a fever, coughing and shortness of breath. He was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 17 and transferred to an isolation room two days later before passing away on Sunday.
The patient’s body was wrapped in plastic before being cremated, which raised concerns over whether the death was indeed caused by COVID-19.
Agoes Oerip Poerwoko, the hospital’s medical and treatment director, previously said the patient’s remains were treated in accordance with coronavirus containment procedures.
“Staff in charge of the [cremation] wore protective gear, including masks [...] in accordance with standard procedure. The path to the morgue was cordoned off. The body itself was wrapped in plastic to prevent visiting family members from being infected by the virus,” he said on Wednesday.
Terawan commended the hospital for following the strict protocol.
Pulmonologist Erlina Burhan, chairperson of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Society of Respirology, explained that pneumonia caused by a flu, including H1N1, could either be direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia.
She said H1N1 was common and its symptoms were nearly identical to those of seasonal flu.
“Most people experience a mild illness for several days and then recover. If their condition becomes severe, it might be a complication because the virus weakens the immune system, making body more prone to other pathogens.”
Erlina urged the government to keep the public updated with quick and transparent information on COVID-19.
“We’re in a situation where it’s easy for people to panic. If a [suspected coronavirus patient] is being tested, let the public know when the results will be available — in a few hours or a day later, for example. Don’t let the public make assumptions without knowing all of the information.”
The Kariadi General Hospital has treated at least 23 patients for suspected COVID-19 since January. Four of the patients were from China, Japan and South Korea, all countries that have reported fatalities from the outbreak.
Indonesia has reported zero confirmed cases to date, although at least nine Indonesian crewmen aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan have tested positive for COVID-19.
Additionally, a Chinese and Japanese national were diagnosed with the disease upon their return from vacationing in Bali over the past two months, according to reports issued by the infectious disease centers in those countries.
The 2019 coronavirus has affected more than 81,000 people and claimed more than 2,800 lives globally, according to the latest data from WHO on Thursday. (aly)
