H1N1 flu deaths in S. Korea rise to 45

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities reported Wednesday
three more deaths from the H1N1 flu virus, raising the nation's death toll to 45
and indicating that the highly contagious disease is turning into a pandemic.
The latest victims were a three-year-old baby, two men in their 30s and 50s, the
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said in a statement.
"The baby had no symptoms of pneumonia, but there was a possibility that the
virus might have intruded into his brain," said Kwon Joon-wook, an official at
Korea Center for Disease Control & Prevention.
Hundreds of schools in South Korea closed voluntarily and soldiers were virtually
banned from going out of their barracks at weekends, a day after the government
raised the national alert for the H1N1 flu to the highest "red" level.
Nearly 10,000 people were found infected with the virus a day, according to
government data.
On Oct. 27, the government started vaccinating doctors and nurses. Students and
old people will be vaccinated from Nov. 11.
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