Qatari authorities have announced an emergency situation in fear of a swine flu outbreak. It all started on Monday when two passengers, who arrived in Doha by flights from the US and Britain, suffered from influenza symptoms.
Later, the Qatari health ministry confirmed the two had "regular" influenza and not the swine flu, but a state of panic was already observed in the Qatari media and society.
Dr Ahmed Kamal Naji, assistant minister for health affairs and director of the Medical Commission told a local newspaper that the authorities suspected the two passengers have been carrying the swine flu virus. They were both put in a special quarantine facility at the Doha airport, he said. After a few hours they were transferred to Hamad hospital for further medical check ups. During these tests it was indicated they were both not suffering from swine flu and were released from the hospital, Naji conveyed. He stressed that so far not even one case of swine flu was discovered in Qatar. © 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
