Hyderabad govt hospital on alert as viral flu cases rise

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 7 : Government Fever Hospital saw a rise in viral flu including influenza-like symptoms and got around 600 to 800 cases per day in the last week, said the Superintendent of the hospital.
Superintendent of Government Fever Hospital Shankar said, "Here at the Government Fever Hospital we got around 600 to 800 cases per day in the last week. All cases are simple, like runny nose, headache, body pains, abdominal pain, vomiting and loose motions."
"There are chances that these symptoms will also spread in the family because it is Swine Flu. Swine flu is an old disease which we have been suffering from for the last 15 years and many people are already vaccinated. It is 100 per cent curable," he added.
Shankar also stated that Oseltamivir tablets is given for swine flu and are already available in all government hospitals. It is also available in medical shops and private hospitals.
He said, "People are getting it now because it's highly contagious and it is an airborne disease. So when one family member gets this, it easily spreads to other family members. ICMR has already given guidelines in this regard. There is nothing to worry about. Everybody should wear masks in public places, wash their hands frequently and maintain social distancing."
"Generally viral fever will subside within one week. If it's more than one week, it's not a viral fever. Swine flu cases are mostly seen in November, December and January as the temperature is low. Once the summer season starts, the virus cannot survive," he added.
"During summer, we get other types of cases of water-bound diseases and gastroenteritis. Other diseases we get are typhoid cases because of water contamination and food. We are also getting other infections like chicken pox cases, diphtheria cases, measles and others. The cases are admitted, isolated and treated accordingly," Shankar said.
The Superintendent further stated that in regard to viral flu, they got around 800 to 1000 cases on Monday.
He said, "All are OP cases. We are not admitting any of the cases but only symptomatic support. If it's more serious we give antibiotics otherwise just paracetamol. Using antibiotics unnecessarily is not advisable. If the patients are young, elderly patients, patients having heart problems or kidney problems, transplant cases or asthma patients, they should be monitored carefully. Pregnant ladies also should be careful as sometimes swine flu cases in pregnant ladies might result in abortions and even deaths."
"The flu shot vaccine is available even now. Everyone is advised to take this once a year. It does not have any side effects. All vaccines might have mild side effects. We have to take some precautions like avoiding handshakes and frequently touching our nose and mouth. Use proper hand wash and wash your hands every time whenever you touch some object," he added.
Shankar mentioned that at the Fever Hospital, viral flu cases have been increasing for the last week but Covid, Dengue and Chikungunya cases are almost zero.
He said, "Swine flu is the only type of influenza now and already the government has taken alert and given some instruction to all the hospitals to alert increase in some seasonal cases and availability of drugs, availability of tests and isolation wards. We are even ready to face if the number of cases increases. At the moment, it is not increasing and we are just on alert."
"I think the number of cases in Telugu states, the OP cases are going up and the people are now more vulnerable. ICMR might have given the instructions as per the statistics for us to be alerted. There is nothing to worry about. Just follow the precautions. If there are any symptoms for more than three days, consult a doctor immediately and take proper treatment. Swine flu can also infect the lungs, and develop pneumonia, multiorgan failure and respiratory failure. Vaccines and tablets are available for swine flu. People with minor symptoms are also coming to hospitals and thus the increasing number of cases," Shankar added.