Hyderabad: From the first case of H1N1 influenza in India on May 16 to 67 cases so far and as on Tuesday evening, all discharged and sent home. That's a record that is becoming the owner's pride and neighbour's envy.
Doctors however say it is merely incidental that schools in Hyderabad have not reported any swine flu cases.
Says Dr K Subhakar, coordinator, H1N1 nodal centre, Andhra Pradesh: "There are corporate schools where children travel abroad but it is incidental that there are no cases reported. The Pune incident should open the eyes of schools in Hyderabad to follow guidelines. Excursions to countries that have reported swine flu is a no-no.''
It is this attitude of caution that has made the H1N1 control centre in Hyderabad pro-active, in insisting on stringent screening at the airport, compulsory isolation for suspected and confirmed cases and administering the full course of Tamiflu for whoever is started on the drug.
Of the 67 cases reported, 28 were software professionals and 22 children, indicating those travelling abroad and those with lesser immunity are more vulnerable.
Doctors say it is unfair to point fingers at the Central government for trying to relax guidelines because the strategy was to allow immunity to develop in the community.
The WHO has predicted a second, more virulent form of the H1N1 virus could break out in November and the Indian government strategy was apparently to see that herd immunity develops in the Indian population as the virus in India so far had seemed mild. That of course has changed after the first fatal H1N1 case in India in Pune.