MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Regional technical director at the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) Dr Vitillius Holder says the isolation of a patient at Mandeville Regional Hospital with H1N1, also known as swine flu, while not alarming is a reminder to the public to be cautious against respiratory illnesses.

“In terms of managing that case, it is the same as if we have any respiratory precaution for any respiratory cases,” said Dr Holder as she pointed to the swine flu pandemic in 2009.

“What happens is that since then H1N1 has been endemic, it has been around, so it is not something new that is happening, so like any of the respiratory illnesses we are managing in the same way,” Dr Holder told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

“It is not [something] for the public to be alarmed about… Because H1N1 has been here and we have been getting cases,” she added.

Dr Holder said there is continued surveillance for respiratory illnesses.

“We monitor respiratory conditions every week because we know respiratory conditions have the potential to cause problems. COVID-19, H1N1 those are conditions that we know, over time, we can have new strains arising,” Dr Holder said.

“Our surveillance system is that for particular health-care facilities we will take samples from people who have respiratory illness or people who are admitted to hospital for different things, we do sample then, so every month we do that.

“We just have to make sure of respiratory precautions, we do it and, if possible, I would say people need to wear masks and distance themselves, because COVID-19 is still there, H1N1 is still there, everything is still there,” added Dr Holder.

As news spread on Thursday about a confirmed case of swine flu at the central Jamaica-based hospital, a press release from the SRHA advised Jamaicans to seek medical attention if they have symptoms of the virus including fever, headache, cough, sore throat, runny and stuffy nose, muscle aches and extreme tiredness.

SRHA noted that nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea may also occur, but these are more common in children.

“The public is being asked to practise frequent hand washing with soap and water, covering mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, and avoiding contact with persons with flu-like symptoms. Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2009, the virus has been in circulation in the population,” the release read in part.