H1N1 prevention not covered in Dubai

Dubai: Most insurance companies have said they will only cover treatment of H1N1 cases but will not provide coverage for prevention of the new flu.

According to new guidelines issued, anyone coming in with flu-like symptoms will be put on a five-day course of Tamiflu.

The drug is given free-of-charge at all government hospitals, said Dr Ali Al Marzouqi, director of public health and safety at the Dubai Health Authority in DUBAI

Regarding the coverage of the treatment at private hospitals and clinics, he said people would need to verify with their respective insurance companies if treatment was covered or not.

"Some insurance providers cover it while others do not and this depends on the insurance provider and the type of coverage the individual has," he said.

Asked if testing of patients was being done and whether treatment was being given straightaway without testing, Dr Al Marzouqi said they were following WHO and Ministry of Health national guidelines.

"Not all patients with swine flu need to be tested as results take two to three days. It is better to initiate the treatment so that we do not waste time.

"This does not mean all cases are not tested. This is decided on a case-to-case basis and patients who are hospitalised and those who have severe illness or high-risk are tested."

However, according to US health officials, doctors should not rely on rapid tests to diagnose the H1N1 virus flu. They evaluated three kits and found they missed many infections.

"The tests do a better job detecting seasonal flu than H1N1 flu," the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention reported.

It said that a positive test only tells you whether it was a flu infection but not what kind of flu it is.

"It could be seasonal, it could be the pandemic strain. In either case, he said, doctors could start antiviral treatment with a drug such as Tamiflu," a doctor with the CDC said.

Dr Fatma Ebrahim, medical director at Al Qasimi, said the drugs and even management of the patient was free of charge at government hospitals.

A consultant doctor at a leading insurance company said two capsules a day of Tamiflu over five days cost Dh180 and insurance companies would be swamped by claims if the coverage was also provided for prevention.

"Everyone would want to get to get a check-up," a broker with Sun Insurance said.

According to the DHA, the UAE has more than enough supplies of Tamiflu. The entire country has around five million doses of Tamiflu while Dubai alone has one million doses of Tamiflu.

Medical tips: Preventing infection

- Droplets from a cough or sneeze from an H1N1 infected person can stay on a surface of any object for up to eight hours and can be easily transferred to you once you touch them, a specialist has warned. 

- The only way to avoid getting infected is by washing your hands frequently, Dr Rakesh Sanker, a specialist physician at NMC Speciality Hospital, said. "The virus is not spread through the air but remains within six feet of the infected person," he said.

- He advises care-givers of infected persons at home to practise good personal hygiene. The new flu virus is, however, susceptible to heat and is destroyed within eight hours, said the specialist. 

- Cough or sneeze into a tissue and dispose of it quickly, he said. He urged against the use of handkerchiefs. The handkerchief has to be washed and will probably contaminate other clothes when put into a washing machine. 

- The typical symptoms of H1N1 (A) flu are a very high fever, respiratory problems, coughing and sneezing, a headache, body pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. In children, the symptoms could also be a general weakness and abdominal pain. 

- Younger people are more susceptible to the virus, he said. "The infection is faster among the 15 to 40 age group," said the doctor. But the high-risk population includes those under five years of age and over 65, pregnant women, diabetics and those with heart and lung conditions. 

- H1N1 can be treated with Tamiflu - a dosage of 75mg tablets twice daily. For younger children and infants, some doctors advise only a certain amount of medicine from the capsule.

SOURCE GN

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