Armenia’s Ministry of Health reports that two patients on artificial respirators have died from the Influenza H1N1 virus.

The ministry says that the two individuals were admitted to local hospitals yesterday after their symptoms had severely worsened and that both had suffered from diabetes and cardio-pulmonary deficiencies.

The ministry reports that currently 98 patients are being treated in intensive care units with severe respiratory ailments and that nine of them are on artificial respirators.

While the ministry denies that a flu epidemic exists, one sees people in Yerevan walking the streets wearing facial masks in an attempt to ward off contracting the virus from casual contact.