A pregnant woman and a 50-year-old man died due to complications arising out of swine flu at Gandhi and Osmania General Hospitals respectively. The pregnant woman died at around 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, while the male patient died on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, five patients, including three children, had tested positive for swine flu, while on Tuesday close to ten patients tested positive. So far, from January to December 31, 2014, 78 persons tested positive for swine flu out, of which over 50 per cent have tested positive in December alone. The swine flu death toll in Telangana is 10.
Of the three children who tested positive, one is 17 months old, another is two-and-half years old and the third child is nine years old. All of them are under treatment at a corporate hospital in Hyderabad. Privately, doctors admit that there is a definite spurt in cases of swine flu this December and the public should be careful and take precautions.
Meanwhile, Director of Health, Telangana, Dr. P. Sambasiva Rao on Wednesday maintained that not a single healthy person has died of swine flu in the State. He said that the fatalities are occurring because of co-morbid condition of patients.
Isolation wards
“Swine flu virus of 2014 in Hyderabad is not as virulent as it was in 2009. The immunity levels among persons who died recently were compromised due to pre-existing ailments. No healthy patient has died due to swine flu in Telangana. However, pregnant women, patients having lung, kidney and heart ailments and children below two years should be very careful this winter,” Dr. Sambasiva Rao said. The State government has directed Chest Hospital, Osmania and Gandhi Hospitals and Fever Hospitals to keep isolation wards ready for any kind of exigencies.
Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) will keep its laboratory open round the clock so that testing for swine flu can be done without any hindrance.
“Public should continue to take basic precautions like cough etiquette and personal hygiene during this winter. Vaccination is also a good option for high-risk group patients,” Professor Pulmonology, Chest Hospital, Dr. K. Subhakar said.