By ODETTE LONEY Wednesday, October 14 2009

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COVERED UP: Health officials at San Fernando General Hospital in special protective gear yesterday after reports surfaced that a person had died from ...

UNCONFIRMED reports reaching Newsday last night suggested that at least one of two persons who died at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) yesterday, succumbed to the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

Although the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) is still awaiting official reports on the deaths, sources at the SFGH said that at least one death and two hospitalizations have been attributed to the swine flu disease.

In a release last night, the Ministry of Health said it is investigating two deaths from serious respiratory illness at the San Fernando General Hospital.

The deceased, the ministry release stated, are both adults and presented acute respiratory symptoms during their hospitalization. However, the rapid screening test for Influenza A came back negative for one of them, but further tests are pending. Confirmatory results for the H1N1 virus are also pending for the second one.

Currently, five more people are hospitalized at San Fernando with respiratory symptoms, four of whom are currently on respiratory support. One of them has tested negative for Influenza A through the rapid screening screen, while confirmatory results for H1N1 for all five are pending.

When Newsday visited the SFGH yesterday, security guards and attendants wore face masks and coveralls and only staff was allowed to enter the Ambulance Bay, which was placed under quarantine since 12 noon.

All ambulances were parked at the entrance to the Accident and Emergency Department and not at the ususal Ambulance Bay, while patients and staff avoided the quarantined area.

Late last night, head of the Anaesthesiology Department at the hospital, Dr Anand Chattergoon confirmed that yesterday afternoon, three persons were brought to the hospital with serious chest infections.