Swine flu, unlike bird flu, is able to pass from human to human contact. The 2009 swine flu outbreak is the spread of a new strain of H1N...
Government today issued fresh guidelines to contain the spread of swine flu in the country a day after one patient succumbed to the disease in Pune.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health V. Choudhary told reporters here.
- Patients, whose swab test are pending but have mild flu symptoms, will now have the option of being treated at home.
- The Centre while issuing the guidelines considered the fact that the fear of isolation at stipulated hospitals was making less people with swine flu symptoms to report.
- After the clinical examination by a doctor at the identified health facility, a person can be treated at home or at the hospitals pending results of the swine flu test .
- The decision of the doctors at the identified health facility would be final regarding hospitalization of the patient.
Health Ministry also issued guidelines for schools to manage cases of infection.
Any student or staff member showing flu like symptoms should be allowed to stay at home for a period of seven to 10 days.
Educational institutions should also monitor cases who might have come in contact with a suspected case.
In case of hostels, the health status of care providers must also be monitored.
All such cases must be reported to local health officers.
Schools should also discourage the excursions to the affected countries and monitor those who return from such countries.
Currently closure of educational institutions is not recommended.
India now has over 551 confirmed cases flu out of which 422 have been cured and discharged. All patients so far have had only mild symptoms of fever, cold, and cough, and recovered after three to five days.
“India recorded its first H1N1 case in the southern city of Hyderabad in May and since then the virus has spread across the country with dozens of cases from Pune city itself, health department officials said. Read more about First Death by this Flu.”
“THANE: The Thane Zilla Parishad (ZP), Thane has taken the threat of swine flu seriously in the wake of reports of animal deaths in different parts of the state. The ZP has formed rapid reaction teams to tackle any such eventuality as soon as any such case came to light. The teams have also been called upon conduct surveys of animals all over the district.
Dr Subhash Mhaske, the District Animal Husbandry Officer, Thane, informed Thane Plus that thirteen teams have been formed at the rate of one each in each of the talukas of the district. Besides this, one team has been also been constituted in the district headquarters to meet any eventuality in the city.”ReadMore
