Delhi swine flu scenario will worsen in winter, but don't panic

[Treyfish]

Calcutta News.Net
Friday 9th October, 2009 (IANS)​

Delhi already has the second highest number of swine flu cases in the country after Maharashtra and with the winter approaching, the situation is just going to get worse, say experts.

But government health officials and doctors advise stringent precautionary measures.

Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia, while acknowledging that the situation will only get worse as the winter comes closer, said all facilities to tackle the flu are in place.

'It's widely known by now that as the temperature drops in the winters, the H1N1 virus will spread more. However, there is no need to panic. If a number of people are testing positive, they are also recovering from the flu,' Walia told IANS.

According to the union health ministry, until Thursday Delhi had recorded 2,941 positive cases of swine flu and a death toll of 15 ever since its outbreak in the country May 16. Maharashtra had the highest number of cases, at 3,187 and a toll of 153.

A well known public health expert at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who did not wish to be named, said the high number of cases in Delhi, or India for that matter, is 'nothing unexpected'.

He said just like common flu, the transmission of the air-borne swine flu will rise in the winter.

'In winters, there is a tendency (for people) to huddle together in small places which just helps the spread of the flu faster. Moreover, as the World Health Organisation had already said, one-third of the world population will be affected by H1N1 virus; these numbers are quite within the expected range,' he said.

As of late Thursday, 11,507 people were affected by swine flu in the country, with the death toll going up to 374, according to health authorities.

Advising precaution, the expert said: 'The general hygiene habits should be practised and if there is any fever or sore throat, you should see a doctor. Nothing additional needs to be done.'

'Having said that, there must be greater awareness among slum dwellers and the lower strata because the virus has established itself in society and is not confined to high flyers alone,' he added.

Agreeing with him, Nandini Guha, a doctor, said: 'Swine flu is no longer confined to those who have travelled abroad or those who have been in contact with people going abroad. Therefore, even in buses and the Metro, people need to practise basic hygiene etiquettes, which I often find missing.'

Walia said all efforts were being made to reach across to as many people as possible with facts on the flu.

'We have started awareness programmes in government schools, besides advertising the facts on swine flu and precautionary measures in print and on TV,' Walia said.

'All our health facilities to tackle the outbreak are in place and I advise people to visit government hospitals in case they see any symptom,' she added.:tiphat:http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/552592

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Delhi swine flu scenario will worsen in winter, but don't panic

H1N1 epidemic: Phase two of zero death mission begins
TNN 10 October 2009, 05:58am IST


PUNE: Gearing up for the anticipated second wave of the H1N1 flu epidemic, the Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to strengthen its zero death
mission' by starting the second phase of the awareness campaign in slum areas. NGOs and anganwadi workers have been asked to start the drive immediately.

A meeting of all NGOs, anganwadi workers, PMC health staff was conducted on Friday to discuss the next phase plan and also to strengthen the networks in slums areas, where citizens are most likely to neglect the swine flu symptoms.

Speaking to TOI, additional municipal commissioner M S Devnikar said the meeting was conducted to start another spurt of efforts to ensure that all patients are treated on time.

"We had started a zero death mission few weeks ago. Check-up drives were conducted in all slums but study of deaths in last few days shows that there is still a need to create awareness. People, especially from slums areas, are still neglecting symptoms, leading to the delay in treatment. They are being admitted at an advanced stage of illness. We have now issued orders to anganwadi workers and the NGOs in slums to begin the drive," Devnikar said.

He explained that the teams have been asked to go house-to-house in every slums and anybody with slightest symptom has to be directed to the nearest screening centre.

"Not only should the workers direct the person to a doctor but also should keep a track whether the patient actually visited the doctor. It is observed that people in the poorer sections usually avoid going to the doctor expecting the illness to disappear on its own, which doesn't happen. Every patient has to be given treatment at the right time. Only then will the zero death mission will be successful. Comparatively, now there is more awareness among the middle and higher middle class sections," Devnikar said.

Meanwhile, the PMC is in the process of preparing a database of NGOs, educational institutions and organisations working in the health sector so as to prepare a proper plan in case the second wave of the flu does hit the city. The plan will help the PMC in allocating particular areas to a nearest NGO or educational institution who are willing to adopt these areas for conducting check-ups or drives.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-death-mission-begins/articleshow/5107633.cms