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While Pune has reported its 100th casualty from the swine flu, health officials say the scenario is not something to be alarmed about: they insist only 47 of the 100 died from the swine flu and that the rest died from other diseases compounded by H1N1
The authorities seem to be getting the ?numbers jitters? now. Despite the swine flu having claimed its 100th victim in the city, the health department insists that only 47 people were the actually victims of the deadly flu and that the rest 53 died of other diseases ?compounded? by the H1N1 virus.
The city has been gripped with panic and fear over the past three months, after 14-year-old school girl Rida Shaikh died, becoming India?s first victim from swine flu.
On Thursday, 28-year-old Mohini Undre of Undri was declared the 100th victim of the disease.
Undre?s death has created fresh concerns among the authorities and the common people alike.
To add to their woes are fears of the second wave of the flu which is expected with the onset of winter.
However, health officials remain unperturbed. They insist that the swine flu is curable and the situation is not as grim as it appears.
They just believe that time is most crucial, wherein a suspected case needs to be reported at the earliest.
According to Dr Pradip Awate, state co-ordinator of swine flu cell, ?While 47 people died form the H1N1 virus, after analysing the data, we found that the rest 53 patients who died were suffering from ailments other than the swine flu, like hypertension, malaria, asthma etc which are as deadly.
Some were even diagnosed as HIV positive. And after these patients contracted the H1N1 virus, the seriousness of their disease was compounded by the virus.?
According to the figures available, the number of deaths from the swine flu among residents of Pune is 40, while those from the Pimpri-Chinchwad area is 11.
Deaths from the rural area are tagged at 32. Further, 18 deaths were of those who were residents of areas other than Pune or Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Dr Awate said, ?In September, 11 people died from swine flu as against 37 who died from malaria. Since deaths by the swine flu are reported regularly, hence, the disease appears more deadly that what it actually is.
H1N1 is a pandemic only in the sense that it is spread worldwide and has claimed too many lives.? Nonetheless, the department is preparing for the second wave of swine flu.
Dr Awate informed, ?Three batches, each comprising of 20 doctors, have already been trained in Pune and Mumbai. These doctors are from rural parts of each districts and they are trained to use facilities like the ventilator, ICU etc.?
The authorities seem to be getting the ?numbers jitters? now. Despite the swine flu having claimed its 100th victim in the city, the health department insists that only 47 people were the actually victims of the deadly flu and that the rest 53 died of other diseases ?compounded? by the H1N1 virus.
The city has been gripped with panic and fear over the past three months, after 14-year-old school girl Rida Shaikh died, becoming India?s first victim from swine flu.
On Thursday, 28-year-old Mohini Undre of Undri was declared the 100th victim of the disease.
Undre?s death has created fresh concerns among the authorities and the common people alike.
To add to their woes are fears of the second wave of the flu which is expected with the onset of winter.
However, health officials remain unperturbed. They insist that the swine flu is curable and the situation is not as grim as it appears.
They just believe that time is most crucial, wherein a suspected case needs to be reported at the earliest.
According to Dr Pradip Awate, state co-ordinator of swine flu cell, ?While 47 people died form the H1N1 virus, after analysing the data, we found that the rest 53 patients who died were suffering from ailments other than the swine flu, like hypertension, malaria, asthma etc which are as deadly.
Some were even diagnosed as HIV positive. And after these patients contracted the H1N1 virus, the seriousness of their disease was compounded by the virus.?
According to the figures available, the number of deaths from the swine flu among residents of Pune is 40, while those from the Pimpri-Chinchwad area is 11.
Deaths from the rural area are tagged at 32. Further, 18 deaths were of those who were residents of areas other than Pune or Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Dr Awate said, ?In September, 11 people died from swine flu as against 37 who died from malaria. Since deaths by the swine flu are reported regularly, hence, the disease appears more deadly that what it actually is.
H1N1 is a pandemic only in the sense that it is spread worldwide and has claimed too many lives.? Nonetheless, the department is preparing for the second wave of swine flu.
Dr Awate informed, ?Three batches, each comprising of 20 doctors, have already been trained in Pune and Mumbai. These doctors are from rural parts of each districts and they are trained to use facilities like the ventilator, ICU etc.?
