Mexico's Calderon says most swine flu patients have recovered

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, whose government is battling an influenza outbreak that has killed as many as 100 people, said Sunday (April 26) that two-thirds of the people admitted to hospitals in recent weeks with flu symptoms have recovered and been sent home.

In comments made at a meeting of the national health council, Calderon said that as of late Saturday, 1,384 people had been admitted to hospitals with indications that they could have been affected by the new virus. Of those, 929 have been cleared and sent home, while 374 remained hospitalized, Calderon said.

Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said late Saturday that 20 of the deaths had been confirmed to be caused by the new strain of swine flu virus.

Calderon said that within the next 72 hours, Mexico will have the lab equipment necessary to positively identify the new virus.

Calderon declared a health emergency Saturday, as the government took a series of measures to avoid contagion, including closing schools in Mexico City, neighbouring Mexico state and the north central state of San Luis Potosi until May 6.

In the capital, where most of the cases have occurred, authorities cancelled 300 public cultural and sports events, and church authorities cancelled church services.