To take stock of the Swine flu alarm, the additional secretary Yugal Kishore Pant and DG Health convened a meeting with the experts to discuss the situation on Wednesday.  The director general ( DG) health services, Dr T C Pant said at the meeting  that a six- member death audit team has been set  up and it would examine the six Swine flu-related deaths reported by the Mahant Indiresh Hospital.

The death audit team headed by the additional CMO Dr Narendra Kumar would have a micro biologist, an epidemiologist, a physician, a child specialist and a specialist of community medicine. Pant said that the team would collect information from the hospital where the patient was admitted and at the same time ask the relatives of the patient about the old diseases he might be carrying.

Swine flu is a viral disease and its virus is called H1 N1 and its genetic analysis has shown that it originates  from the animals specially pigs and hence it is called Swine flu. The virus spreads from person to person similar to that of seasonal influenza.

The health directorate has also issued do’s and don’ts for the disease on the day.

Do’s

1 Cover nose and face with handkerchief while sneezing or coughing.

2 After/ before touching face and nose and before and after taking meals, one should wash hands thoroughly by soap.

3 Drink copious quantity of water and take healthy nutritious food.

Don’ts

1 Avoid shaking hands or hugging people.

2 Avoid travelling while ill.

3 Do not send your child to school if he/ she is suffering from cough or cold.

4 Never take self- medication and consult doctor.