Capital sees 166 new cases of swine flu

As many as 166 fresh cases of swine flu have been reported from Delhi taking the total number of confirmed cases of the virus to 517. The figures are till July 30. The deadly virus has claimed a total of four lives as per the official data provided by the Union Health Ministry.

The death toll due to H1N1 virus has reached around 736 across the country with over 15,121 cases of the viral infection.

In 2016, the capital had reported 193 cases of H1N1 virus till this time of the year. Symptoms include fever, cough, nasal secretion, fatigue, headache, bodyache and sore throat. Frequent hand-washing and avoiding crowded places are among the precautions one should take to avoid catching the infection.

"We have admitted 105 patients who came with the symptoms of swine flu till now. The hospital has witnessed 25 suspected death due to the deadly virus," said a senior doctor from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital.

The Union Health Ministry has also issued guidelines for influenza vaccination for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and persons with compromised immunity due to other diseases and has asked the State Governments and Union Territories Administration, to evolve a plan for vaccinating the health care workers and persons at higher risk, on yearly basis depending upon the public health burden of influenza.

Even the NCR areas — Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon has also reported 39 fresh cases of the influenza.

The standard treatment for H1N1 is Tamiflu, which should be taken only on prescription. There are three categories of the virus — A, B and C. While the first two are considered stable, the C category is dangerous. It requires ventilator support immediately.

Dr. Arvind Minz, Internal Medicine, QRG Central Hospital & Research Centre said, "Till date we had three patients who were tested positive with swine flu and have been treated. A major problem which we are witnessing is that many people have trouble determining if they have a seasonal flu or swine flu; the symptoms are quite similar, although swine flu's symptoms are a bit more intense."

In 2009, when H1N1 was spreading fast in many countries around the world, the World Health Organisation called it a pandemic. Since then, people have continued to get sick from swine flu across the world, including in India, but the cyclical nature of the virus means that every few years there is a spurt in cases and deaths.