With the decreasing temperature, the deadly swine flu (H1N1) has claimed three lives in the national Capital in the past one month.
All the three deaths were reported from Dr Ram Manohar lohia Hospital. Twenty-nine-year-old Satisha, a resident of Meerat, succumbed to the disease on Wednesday while Raj Devi, 55, resident of Bawana expired on December 20. In November, one death was reported due to swine flu.
Talking to The Pioneer, Dr VK Sinha, RMl spokesperson said, “Three confirmed HINI positive cases of swine flu deaths are recorded till date. The hospital has reported 31 suspected cases so far.”
Explaining about the severity of H1N1 infection which is a contagious disease, Dr Vikas Mauyra, Consultant Respiratory medicine at BlK Super Speciality Hospital said, “Swine influenza (H1N1) is a respiratory disease caused by type A influenza virus and spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing droplets and through touch. When the severity of the infection increases in the body it affects lungs, causing breathlessness giving threat to life.”
“For the preventive measures, people should use masks whenever they go out in crowded place and should stay away from the infected person,” said Dr Mauyra.
Meanwhile, Dr Charan Singh, Delhi Government’s nodal officer for swine flu said, “We have adequate amount of drug ‘Tami flu’, diagnostic kits and other equipment required for the treatment of the disease. Dedicated isolation swine flu wards in about 26 hospitals including private hospitals have been set up. Currently, there is nothing to worry about epidemic kind of situation like previous year.”
It may be noted that last year the deadly infection had assumed alarming proportions, infecting more than 4,000 people in the national Capital and has claimed 12 lives.