THE HEAD of the H1N1 virus task force yesterday called on the media to show more responsibility in reporting on the pandemic after the number of confirmed cases in Cyprus reached four at the weekend.
Dr Chrystalla Hadjianastasiou accused the media of inaccurate and overzealous news reporting which harmed the economy and tourism of the country.
Two friends of the 18-year-old British tourist who was admitted to the special ward of the Limassol hospital on Friday were taken ill on Saturday and subsequently tested positive for the new H1N1 virus, bringing to four the total number of confirmed cases on the island.
The three British teenagers, all aged 18, are part of a group of ten holidaymakers who arrived in Cyprus on June 15, and stayed in apartments in Protaras. They have since been quarantined at Limassol hospital after testing positive for the new virus, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
The three cases come on the heels of the first reported case of the 39-year-old Moldovan woman who was confirmed to have the flu-like virus in May after returning from a trip to New York. She has since been released from quarantine after receiving treatment. All four cases appear to be a mild form of the virus.
Head of the H1N1 task force Hadjianastasiou said yesterday that the three were in good condition, noting that all in their close environment have been fully informed and, where necessary, given precautionary medical treatment.
The Health Ministry official noted that 14 people in total have been tested after showing symptoms of the flu, after entering the country from areas where the virus has been transmitted. She highlighted that all four confirmed cases are considered “imported” cases.
Hadjianastasiou yesterday berated the media for reporting on one suspected case of a Cyprus Airways air steward over the weekend, saying that their handling of the affair was an affront to human dignity. Tests on the air steward have since come back negative, giving him the all clear and an exit pass from the special hospital ward.
The infectious disease specialist denied media reports that the air steward was on the same flight as the British tourists, saying he had nothing to do with the tourists at all.
“The news reports are groundless. We may have a case under investigation on a daily basis but we don’t announce this. It’s not an issue and I think it’s bad, journalism, low, when you show people, violate personal data, don’t respect human dignity. All this is wrong,” said Hadjianastasiou.
The doctor said the ministry did not deem it correct to inform the media every time they tested someone, but only when a case was confirmed.
“When we have results of a case we will tell the media, there is no reason to hide anything,” she said, noting that the air steward came up negative for the flu, despite media reports to the contrary.
“This is not how almost all the media presented it. I expect the media to show more responsibility. And there is no need to park outside Limassol (hospital) forcing us to cover patients with sheets, as if we are in a developing country, to hide their faces from journalists. This creates problems for our economy and tourism,” she added.
So far, there are 52,000 confirmed cases of the virus globally, resulting in 230 deaths.
