One dies of swine flu

  A 15-year-old swine flu patient died at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital while 33 people tested positive for the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in the national capital on Tuesday, taking the death toll to four and total number of cases to 154 this year, an official said.

However, doctors said with temperature rising and humidity falling, the number of H1N1 cases will start declining in the days ahead.

City health minister A K Walia on Tuesday said the department is keeping a close watch on preparedness of hospitals to treat patients and make available beds in isolation wards.

Walia reviewed the situation at a meeting attended by central government’s director (emergency medical relief) P Ravindran, senior officers of the National Centre for Disease Control, medical superintendents of government and private hospitals and diagnostic laboratories.

Walia said he has identified 17 government and five private hospitals for treatment, and three government and five private diagnostic laboratories are working round-the-clock to manage H1N1 cases.

While the stock of medicine is adequate, Walia asked doctors and health workers to ensure complete personal protection, particularly in intensive care areas.

No vaccination

Ravindran said there is no need for vaccination against H1N1 in the present scenario. He said no preventive treatment is required in most cases as of now.
“Only high-risk cases such as people above 65 years with multiple diseases need prophylactic treatment,” said Ravindran.

Hospitalisation is not needed for category A patients having symptoms such as mild fever with cough, sore throat with or without body ache and headache as these are simple cases of influenza.