Suspected swine flu patient admitted to GMSH-16

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8

A 40-year-old resident of Sector 38 was admitted to the GMSH, Sector 16, with the suspected H1N1 virus.

The patient is learnt to have travelled to New Delhi recently. Doctors suspect that she may have contracted the infection during her visit to New Delhi as many cases of swine flu have been reported from there and a death was also reported a week ago.

She was admitted to the isolated ward in GMSH-16 after she complained of prolonged flu symptoms at the flu screening OPD.

Her throat swab samples have been sent to the PGIMER virology lab for confirmation of swine flu. Reports will be obtained within two to three days.“ We are making all possible efforts to get to the source of infection in patients to ensure that the virus is not transmitted to other residents,” said UT Director Health Service (DHS), Dr VK Gagneja.

On Wednesday, a 20-year-old woman from Sector 42 had tested positive for swine flu. The woman was examined at Max hospital, Mohali, on Tuesday and after obtaining her report, the UT Health Department was informed about it. This was the first case of swine flu on the city this year. Immediately after the confirmation, she was quarantined at her residence.

Last year, three cases of swine flu were reported from different parts of the city. No deaths were reported from the city. Swine flu is an infection caused due to transmission of a deadly H1N1 virus. Prolonged flu, blood in sputum and fever are the common symptoms of the disease and it can prove to be fatal if undiagnosed for long.

Washing your hands often is an effective way of preventing the infection. And the disease is curable. Tamiflu, an oral medicine, cures swine flu. The medicine is available at all the three government hospitals, including the PGIMER, GMSH-16 and GMCH-32, free of cost. Private clinics and hospitals can get the medicine from the UT Health Department.