How Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe makes 6 H1N1 Deaths as 69 swine flu cases before @themohgovjm

“The management and staff of the South East Regional Health Authority mourn the loss of Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe. We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to her family and our prayers are with them during this difficult time of bereavement”

Press release from SERHA with regards to the death of Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe from H1N1

H1N1 (Influenza A) is now on a killing spree that resembles a serial killer.

This time, on Saturday March 19^th 2016, it has claimed the life of Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe, a Clinical Quality Assurance Officer as reported in the article “Another doctor dies from swine flu”, published March 19, 2016, Loop News.

At over 60, she now becomes the second doctor to die from H1N1 (Influenza A) at UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies), the first being 50-y-o Dr. Suzanna Roye as reported on Saturday February 20^th 2016 in my blog article entitled “Why Dr. Suzanna Roye died from Influenza A (H1N1) as Ministry of Health stocks up on Tamiflu”. 

This is less than four weeks ago, making the H1N1 (Influenza A) virus killing rate equivalent to the rate of road fatalities cause by motorcycles as noted in my blog article entitled “NRSC record increase in Motorcycle Deaths - Why Road Traffic Act need to license Motorized Bicycles and Electric Bikes”.

So here's an update to the tally originally posted in my blog article entitled “How 4 Jamaicans dead and 35 infected as H1N1 (Influenza A) goes on a Rampage” as the H1N1 (Influenza A) virus spreads as:

1.      187 tests done

2.      69 swine flu cases

3.      6 patients dead

4.      2 doctors

Who exactly was Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe?

Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe is the sixth H1N1 Death – How Touching Virus is ignored by the Media

Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe was employed to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) for over a year after retiring from her post as Director of Health Service Planning and Integration in the Ministry of Health in 2014. Dr Goffe, like Dr. Suzanna Roye, was in the high risk group as she suffered from other ailments.

This put her in a vulnerable group of Jamaicans with weak immune system:

1.      Elderly

2.      Infants

3.      Persons with chronic medical conditions, such as heart, lung, kidney disease, and diabetes and Asthma

4.      Pregnant women

5.      Young children

Again, her death is being overshadowed by the media coverage as evidenced by this rather poorly written article in the Jamaica Gleaner entitled “JUST IN: Second Medical Doctor Dies From Swine Flu-Related Complications ... Overall Death Toll Now At Six”, published Saturday March 19, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

In fact, both the Jamaica Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer are distracted by their coverage of ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletic Championships, which started on Tuesday March 15^th and is slated to end Saturday March 19^th 2016 as noted in my blog article entitled “How Ministry of Health ramping up as Chikungunya, Zika, Dengue and H1N1 attack Jamaican at Champs”.

So the elderly need to be on their guard, as H1N1 (Influenza A) is spreading, killing people with weakened immune systems.

The 411 on Swine Flu – How to protect yourself from H1N1 (Influenza A)

Luckily, the Influenza A (H1N1) virus isn't airborne.

Rather, it's spread via coming in contact with aerosolized body fluids i.e. saliva or sputum ejected from the mouth or nose of the infected patient. This should be called the Touching Virus, as once you touch a commonly used surface e.g. tables, chairs or doorknobs coated with Influenza A (H1N1) viral particles, tag, you're it!

Fortunately, Jamaica now has testing facilities for H1N1, Zika Virus, Chikungunya and Dengue as reported in the article “Jamaica Fully Equipped to Test For Zika”, published March 13, 2016 By Alecia Smith Edwards, The Jamaica Information Service.

This is thanks to the recently upgraded National Virology Reference Laboratory, which was done at a cost of $10 million. Also vaccination against H1N1 (Influenza A) is coming for doctors and nurses as reported in the article “Get Vaccinated - Senior Medical Doctor Urges Action Against H1N1”, Published Saturday March 12, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 700 health care workers are already vaccinated out of the 5000 vaccine ampoules ordered by the Ministry of Health. Those 5000 H1N1 Vaccines that Minister of Health Dr. Christopher Tufton mentioned breaks down as follows:

1.      1000 from Trinidad and Tobago

2.      3000 from PAHO (Pan American Health Organization)

3.      1000 from Belize

More may be needed as the illness spreads as noted in “Ministry Stepping Up Procurement Of Flu Vaccines For Frontline Health Workers”, Published Friday March 11, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Hopefully, the panic will not spread with the virus, as that’s actually deadlier than the four of them combined! Doctors, Health care workers and regular Jamaicans can reduce the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) virus by doing the following:

1.      Avoid contact with persons with flu-like symptoms

2.      Avoid intimate contact including hand shaking and kissing

3.      Cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing

4.      Health care workers wearing specialized masks and other PPE

5.      Wash your hands frequently and properly

98% of persons infected with Influenza A (H1N1) rarely show symptoms as noted in the article “Leicester Royal Infirmary closes wards over swine flu”, published 18 February 2016, BBC. The remaining 2% tend to have the following symptoms:

1.      Dry cough

2.      Headache

3.      High fever

4.      Muscle and joint pains

5.      Runny nose

6.      Sore throat

7.      Tiredness

8.      Unwell feeling

Doctors usually prescribe the following drugs for the above symptoms:

1.      Panadol/Tylenol

2.      DPH

3.      Claritine [loratidine]

4.      Cetirizine

5.      Fexofenadine

Good to note that these drugs do not kill the virus but merely treat the symptoms as follows:

1.      Panadol/Tylenol is an Acetaminophen and is taken to relieve the Muscle and joint pains

2.      DPH, claritine [loratidine], cetirizine, or fexofenadine with pseudoephedrine is used to reduce sneezing and the production of mucus and sputum

Still, I recommend buying Pineapples and making your own cough syrup by blending the whole pineapple as noted in my blog article entitled “Why JP Tropical Foods Pineapples will be a hit in Jamaica this Christmas”.  

Taking multivitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin B Complex will help to boost your immune system. Something tells me more people are slated to die as this disease spreads across Jamaica, one handshake at a time.