Swine flu as common as cold, say doctors

A 50-year-old Andheri resident became the first case of swine flu death of Mumbai. He was already a patient of epilepsy and was transferred to BMC's infectious diseases Kasturba hospital on February 14. According to the BMC's swine flu report, he died of acute respiratory distress with bilateral pneumonia which is a complication related to swine flu.

Who need hospitalisation? 
Doctors, however, say that swine flu is as common as seasonal common cold. Dr Mangala Gomare, head of the epidemiology department in BMC said, “It is like seasonal flu. Many people are affected but all don't need hospitalisation and tamiflu. H1N1 is part of influenza a family. Since it is contagious, people need to follow hygiene, avoid going to crowded place if infected and maintain isolation even if they are at home.”

Who falls in the high-risk group?
Though the virus has killed nine people in the city since January and affected around 134 Mumbaikars, doctors and government health officials say there is no need to panic as only people with co-morbid factors (diabetes/hypertension/immuno-compromised etc) fall in the high-risk group. This has been proven by the flu deaths happening in the city where either the patient was a diabetic or had hypertension. 

What are the categories of swine flu patients? 
Dr Deepak Sawant, state health minister, said, “We have created three categories. Category C are the people who have mild fever, cough, throat irritation, body ache, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting. People falling in this category don’t need to undergo H1N1 test or take Tamiflu but need symptomatic treatment. But their condition needs to be reviewed in 24 hours.”He said that people with Category C symptoms - with a fever of more than 100 Fahrenheit, severe sore throat and running nose, need to take Tamiflu. 

"H1N1 test for Category B people is suggested if the patient belongs to the high-risk group with co-morbid factors," he said, adding that people falling in category A will require both hospitalisation and Tamiflu along with H1N1 test. "These are the patients who have breathlessness, chest pain, hemoptysis, hypotension, bluish discoloration of nails and in children it can be irritation and drowsiness."

What has the BMC done? 
BMC's health department has already sent circulars to private hospitals and doctors requesting them to follow the guidelines and not to give Tamiflu or suggest H1N1 test unnecessarily.