www.CostaRicaTicas.com

any new news?

AH1N1 Deaths Keeps Climbing In Costa Rica

A 60 year old woman has become the 22 death from the AH1N1 virus in Costa Rica, while the ministerio de Salud investigates the death of a 25 year old man, which could become death number 23.

The ministra de Salud, María Luisa Ávila, explained the woman was asthmatic and suffered from heart problems. Ávila said the woman had been in isolation in the intensive care unit of a San José hospital but did not disclose which hospital.

An anonymous source to Inside Costa Rica says the woman was at the Hospital México, where a number of deaths suspected of the AH1N1 virus are being investigated.

The death of the 25 year old man is being investigated as the man was grossly obese and displayed many of the symptoms of the virus before his death on Tuesday.

The number of cases and suspected cases of the virus is taxing the ability of the health system to properly deal with the pandemic.

For instance, the San Isidro de Heredia clinic is at full capacity and does not adequate space to handle the influx of people.

Ana Virginia Leal, director of the clinic, said that last week they has to use the gymnasium of the local school located in front of the clinic. The school was closed last week due to the extended mid year school vacation period.

The ministra de Salud confirmed that the school had been used as a makeshift clinic until the school principal asked for them to leave.

However, ministra Ávila, explained that there is shift to people being more aware and careful with the virus. The ministra said the number of people arriving at the clinic in Heredia is now 20 a day, half of the 40 daily they had been receiving over the past several weeks.