Swine Flu claims woman’s life in MP; Bhopal battles kit shortage

Swine flu has claimed a life in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, with a 60-year-old woman from Ujjain dying in Indore after testing positive for H1N1. The death has raised concern in Bhopal, where six H1N1 cases have already been confirmed, but regular testing at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) has not yet started because testing kits are unavailable.

The woman died after undergoing treatment in Indore for 16 days. Her H1N1 infection was confirmed during investigation. The development comes at a time when hospitals in Bhopal are witnessing a significant number of patients reporting respiratory symptoms. According to available figures, around 10,000 patients visit the OPDs of JP Hospital, Hamidia Hospital and AIIMS Bhopal every day. Nearly half of them are reportedly presenting with symptoms such as sore throat, cough, fever, runny nose and fatigue. This indicates a substantial number of patients with viral or respiratory infections.

At GMC, however, H1N1 testing has not yet begun. Dr Deepti Chaurasia, head of the Microbiology Department, said the facility was currently not conducting H1N1 tests because kits were unavailable. She said the kits were expected to arrive and testing would start once they were received.

At AIIMS Bhopal, officials said routine H1N1 testing was not being conducted for every patient. Samples are being sent for testing after assessing patients with symptoms suggestive of H1N1 and considering their clinical condition. Around 10 samples have been sent for testing in the past week, with no H1N1-positive case reported by AIIMS so far.

Pulmonologist Dr Lokendra Dave said sudden changes in weather, humidity and cooler conditions can contribute to a rise in viral respiratory infections, including influenza. He said patients with symptoms such as cough, fever and sore throat had been visiting hospitals consistently for nearly three months. However, he stressed that the present situation was neither abnormal nor indicative of an epidemic.

According to Dr Dave, around 95 per cent of influenza cases are self-limiting. However, severe cases can develop complications such as pneumonia.

Patients developing hypoxia or low oxygen levels may require hospitalisation and ICU support. Doctors have also reported cases in which respiratory symptoms spread among family members within two to three days. Influenza A (H1N1), influenza B, adenovirus and respiratory syncytial virus may be circulating, with their initial symptoms often overlapping. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish between common viral infections, influenza, H1N1 and Covid-19 based on symptoms alone.

Dr Dave advised people with fever, cough or cold symptoms against self-medication and urged them to seek medical advice. Patients prescribed antiviral medicines should complete the full course and consult a doctor if symptoms worsen. Doctors have also advised symptomatic people to isolate themselves, wear masks, take adequate rest, drink sufficient fluids and maintain hand hygiene.