119 official swine flu cases in South Africa, but 'nonchalance' and 'apathy' is a concern

After his condition improved close to a week after returning to South Africa and he was released from the hospital, Wilson received an SMS from Terry Marshall at the NICD.

The SMS read: "Hi Mr Wilson. We are unable to track your specimen for influenza testing. It has not reached the NICD."

SHOOT: Why not send the following SMS: "Hi Mr Wilson. Hope you are well. If not, farewell. Have a nice day, rgds Gauteng Health Department.

Asked why Wilson would not have been quarantined at O R Tambo, Hadebe said this was not required under World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on preventing the virus's spread.

clipped from www.iol.co.za A Cape Town man who developed severe pneumonia and had to be admitted to hospital after returning from a business trip to India with flu-like symptoms may have had swine flu - but he will never know. This was because his test results were lost or not reported to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). Keith Wilson, 60, was detected by a thermal scanner after arriving at O R Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, two weeks ago. He was found to have a temperature of 39.4°C, and swabs were taken to be tested for swine flu. Wilson was then allowed to board his connecting flight to Cape Town, and was told he would receive the results of his swine flu test within 24 hours. "Everyone I spoke to (at the Gauteng Department of Health and NICD) was so nonchalant," Collins said. "There was complete apathy. This person could have died and no one did anything about it. Pinelands Medicross, who also tried to find out Wilson's swine flu results, agreed that the NICD was unreceptive.