New Delhi:
With five deaths and 60 cases reported so far this year, swine flu is back to haunt Delhi. There has been a spurt in those diagnosed with H1N1 virus.
"In 2011-12, we were getting sporadic cases. This time the surge has been more, definitely much more than 2011-12, though the number of cases is definitely less as compared to 2009, possibly because of the extreme cold that Delhi witnessed," said Dr (Wing Commander) Arup Basu, Senior consultant, chest diseases, Gangaram hospital.
Apart from Delhi, there has been a spike in swine flu cases in recent times in states like Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. With 54 deaths, Rajasthan has seen the maximum casualties in this phase, followed by Haryana with 13 and Punjab with nine.
In fact, in Haryana's Karnal, four doctors who are treating H1N1 cases are now admitted with swine flu symptoms.
Swine flu symptoms include high fever, sore throat, breathlessness, body ache and fatigue. The administration says there is no shortage of Tamiflu - the drug for swine flu patients - and hospitals have been told to set up dedicated isolation wards for such cases.
"We have a special isolation ward already set up in a few hospitals. There is a ventilator facility as well and all medicines are available free of cost to patients," said Dr Naresh Garg, nodal officer in the Chandigarh Union Territory region.
Delhi's Health minister A K Walia said, "Medicines have been arranged and are in adequate supply. We have also had a meeting with hospitals with regard to testing facilities and that has been arranged."
Doctors say instead of pressing the panic button, people would be well advised to follow simple precautions like frequently washing hands and visiting a doctor if they feel they have the symptoms. And with a little bit of help from the sun, the situation could improve in the days ahead.