The health authorities in the State are on an alert following information regarding new patients of H1N1 influenza /swine flu. Dr. Archana Srivastava after holding a meeting with departmental officials informed media persons that the department had sent samples of 39 suspected patients to National Communicable Diseases Control laboratory. She informed that only one patient was found to be positive who has since then died. It has to be mentioned that Tharli MLA Magan Lal Shah had died of influenza.
She said that the health department also gets confirmation of H1n1 disease from private laboratories and only three H1N1 cases have been reported by them. One of the female patients admitted in Mahant Indresh Hospital had died on April 3, 2018. The information about the patient was made available by the hospital to Chief Medical Officer, Dehradun on April 8, as per report she was also a diabetic patient. The other two patients are undergoing treatment in Mahant Indresh hospital.
The DG health said that H1N1 virus is not an epidemic disease but has taken shape of a simple seasonal influenza. The patient can suffer from fever, cough, body ache, sore throat, burning eyes, diaharrea, vomiting and problems in breathing. She said that there is nothing to panic about and patient can consult a doctor for treatment. The anti-viral “Oselamever’ medicine is available in sufficient quantity in all the districts. She instructed all the district medical officers to be alert and stock medicine.
She said that for Swine flu prevalence “Oselamever’ 75 mg and 30 mg tablets and syrup for children have been made available in all the districts. She appealed to the people through media that they should not panic but remain vigilant. She said that H1N1 patients are categorized in three categories A,B and C and they are also treated as per their category. She further said that there was no need for sending samples of each and every patient to the laboratory. She said that the delay in laboratory reports has no connection with the treatment as treatment is symptom based.
