Swine flu is continuing to take toll in Uttarakhand as one more patient has succumbed to the disease in Dehradun on Saturday. With it, the number of patients who have lost life to H1 N1 this season has mounted up to three. The associate professor Medicine, Mahant Indiresh Hospital Dr Amaranth Pandey said that a 41-year-old resident of Vikasnagar had been admitted at the hospital on Friday afternoon with complaint of high fever. “The patient was diagnosed with H1 N1 positive. He, however, died on Saturday afternoon,” he added.
The chief medical officer (CMO), Dr S K Gupta claimed that the health department has been brought on an alert mode to combat the disease. He said that all the hospitals have been asked to open a swine flu ward.
He further said that the medical officers have been asked to be cautious on suspected cases of the disease and added that all the hospitals have adequate supply of Tami flu(medicine of swine flu) and triple layer masks.
The CMO said that since the disease spreads by droplet infection, the people should cover their nose and face with handkerchief while sneezing or coughing and should regularly wash hands and face.
Swine flu is a viral disease and its virus is called H1 N1. Its genetic analysis has shown that it originates from the animals, especially pigs, and hence, it is called Swine flu. The virus spreads from person to person similar to that of seasonal influenza.
