Dr KK Aggarwal

Vice President CMAAO

President HCFI

Immediate Past National President IMA

The cases are due to a new strain in the H1N1 virus called the Michigan strain.Though the virus may be less dangerous, it is certainly more contagious. Doctors say, because the virus has undergone a change, it is likely to infect more people who have not developed immunity to it yet.

All Rajasthan doctors are advised to administer antiviral drugs to all hospitalized, severely ill and high-risk patients with suspected or confirmed influenza.

H1Ni is associated with increased hospitalizations and deaths among elderly adults and young children.

The Rajasthan government on January 3 sounded an alert in the State after more than 400 people were diagnosed positive for the swine flu virus in December 2017.

241 swine flu deaths have occurred in the State since January 2017.

3,033 hospitals have swine flu screening centres apart from 1,580 isolation beds, 214 ICU beds and 198 ventilators for patients affected by swine flu virus.

Follow the National Flu guidelines.

Some take home messages

1.     No fever no flu

2.     Cough cold and fever is flu unless proved otherwise

3.     No breathlessness no admission

4.     Co-morbid conditions, pregnancy, extremes of ages: do not ignore flu

5.     For both hospitalized patients and those managed in the outpatient setting, isolation precautions should be implemented.

6.     Hand hygiene — Hygienic techniques such as handwashing have been shown to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, especially from younger children

7.     Face masks — Health care workers in Asia often wear surgical-type face masks to prevent their acquisition of respiratory tract infections. Such masks are increasingly used by travelers for the same purpose.

8.       Gargling – Gargling with water three times daily or gargling with povidone-iodine.

9.       Cough etiquette: Patients and visitors should cover their nose or mouth when coughing, promptly dispose used tissues, and practice hand hygiene after contact with respiratory secretions.

10.   Wear a mask when within three feet of the patient.

11.   Health care workers should use gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection, as appropriate, when in contact with infected patients 

12.  Let the patient remain in a single room. All contacts should wear simple masks when within three feet reach. Hand wash after coming in contact with respiratory secretions. Consider flu vaccines for contacts