The patient

The patient is a middle age Malay male who came to the Emergency Department shortly before 9pm. He complained of fever since 5am the same day. By noon his fever became high accompanied with chills and generalised muscle ache and joint pain. By dusk, his sore throat became more evident. He told me that he was otherwise healthy.

The Prof (our respiratory physician), a man in his mid 40's happened to be in the ED that night briefing the ER crew regarding the latest Press Statement made by Tan Sri Ismail Merican on the worsening crisis of H1N1. Prof took one look at the patient in front of me, and quickly said

"We need to admit you because you have Influenza-like illness, but since you have been exposed to a lot of H1N1 patients last week, we can't be too careful."

I arranged for his bloods investigations, chest X-ray the whole lot and sent him to the ward.

I checked back on him 2 hours later and by then he had already received his antibiotics, antiviral and on IV drip.

That's when he asked me, which I thought was strange "So how are you feeling, much better?"

"I dunno... I still have the fever, I guess it's too soon to tell" I replied.

I looked back at the figure who asked me that question, it was actually a lady nurse who came to checked my vital signs and changed my IV fluids. That man had disappeared, and I am the patient after all.