The mortality rate for those who contracted influenza was 5.7% in the population aged at least 65 and 0.4% in those younger than 65, according to a study conducted by the medical team at GlobeMed Lebanon, one of the companies within GlobeMed Group, a leading healthcare management group in the Middle East and Africa.
The study about influenza cases was undertaken among beneficiaries of third-party payers contracted with GlobeMed Lebanon. It showed that 8,130 cases were admitted to hospitals due to influenza symptoms over a two-year period from 2015 to 2017.
The study was undertaken amid global reports sounding the need to properly diagnose the symptoms of influenza, especially in the elderly, and to conduct all the necessary tests, including swine flu (H1N1), for proper treatment. This aims to prevent the incidence of complications particularly among the elderly.
In this regard, most third-party payers contracted with GlobeMed Lebanon provide the cover for influenza H1N1 tests as well as the flu vaccine for beneficiaries holding insurance policies with inpatient or outpatient cover.
Under the supervision of Dr Helene Bekhazi, medical director at GlobeMed Lebanon, the study demonstrated that over 76.5% of the cases fell in the age group under 65, and 23.5% in the group aged at least 65. The team found that nearly 2.3% (44 patients out of 1,915) in the elderly group had been tested for H1N1. Five cases were found positive, requiring a special treatment protocol which resulted in the recovery of all cases. In contrast, only 3.1 % of the age group under 65 (196 patients out of 6,215) were tested for H1N1, 11 of which were found positive. All these cases recovered except for one.
The mortality rate reached 5.7% among the elderly and 0.4% under 65 years. However, it is notable that all these cases were not tested for H1N1. Although the study cannot confirm or deny the presence of H1N1 flu in any of these cases, it draws a question mark regarding the procedures followed to diagnose influenza and accordingly the tests required by healthcare providers.
Since different types of flu share common symptoms, the patient or doctor cannot diagnose the H1N1 flu based on the complaints of the patient only. Tests and laboratory tests are required to diagnose the H1N1 or any other type of influenza. M