Email
Print
ShareMumbai: Last week, conflicting news about suspected swine flu cases in India left doubts about the government's measures to ensure screening at the entry points and controlling the spread of the virus.
Though the government machinery has been at pains to explain that there is no detected case yet of swine flu, now officially named by World Health Organisation (WHO) as influenza H1N1, there is enough reason to believe India has reacted rather late to what is being seen as the greatest threat to human lives in many decades. The flow of information through newspaper advertisements and media conferences have definitely picked up more recently.
So, the question that needs to be asked is, how insulated we are from contracting the deadly flu virus. Alternatively, how far are we from getting affected? The good news is that the influenza virus, or any virus, likes a moist climate to spread, but with the mercury soaring past 40 degree Celsius in many parts of India, the heat wave has been a boon in some ways. That is the only one natural defence that we have against several ways in which the virus can enter our systems.
But if the flu remains active and does not abet in the next two months, monsoons will arrive and that could spell disaster for many countries in the southern hemisphere. The population density of our cities will only add to the damage as the virus may find ways to survive and find new hosts.
Viruses, like every living organism, are smart to adapt to changing situations and keep transforming their basic structure by continuous mutation. Unlike the infamous avian flu, it is feared that H1N1 has jumped into humans from pigs and experts now suggest that the propagation of the virus will be much quicker through easier medium of transmission.
One solace is that the Mexican government, from where the virus originated, has reported a significant drop in the flu casualties and that may signal the intensity of the virus may be less fatal or life threatening than anticipated at its onset, over a month ago.
According to the latest Indian health department update, around 34,000 passengers have been screened at airports and 126 doctors and 71 paramedics have been deployed to man 51 counters at major airports. These numbers give a sense of well-geared up safety provisions, but the margin of error is zero. Any individual with the infection and missing out these surveillance systems could endanger the lives of scores of others.
Like in every pandemic threat, Indian companies have been quick to react. Cipla offered supplies of the medicine at a short notice. Similarly, Hetero Drugs, Ranbaxy and Roche made public statements claiming their preparedness.
The Indian government on its part showed prudence and banned sell of oseltamivir from chemist shops as indiscriminate use of the drug may cause resistance in fighting the virus. The drug can only be obtained through government hospitals.
Remember, when the avian flu struck India, Cipla was ready with its own version of oseltamivir, but was prevented by Roche and Gilead on issues of patent rights. This time, there is no scope for such meaningless corporate battles and public health should assume ultimate importance.
Though financial market analysts came down to reckoning net gains accruing from such supplies, the government has not placed any clear supply orders as of now. There is enough buffer to treat thousands of patients and until there are initial positive cases of flu, the government may just not like to press the panic button. Nothing wrong with being patient as drug supplies can be ensured in the shortest time, according to the companies.
A few other companies have gone high pitch and claimed that they have been called in by WHO to work on flu vaccines. Low-profile Pune-based company Serum Institute told select media that it has been approached to work on the new vaccines, but by its own claims, the product will be ready only about four to six months after the virus strain is isolated. That will be part of a global exercise, which is expected to have 2 billion dosage ready in the next 12 months.
As the WHO has said, this is a constantly evolving situation and much more will be needed to combat the latest enemy of human lives.
Pillman is an executive closely linked to the global pharma industry.
