Swine Flu Surge In India: Should You Get Tested For Every Fever?

O
Wed esday
eve i g,
August
19th,
a
60-yea -old
woma
died
of
swi e
flu
i
I do e,
Madhya
P adesh.
This
ews
is ‘t
just
a
death,
but
a
wa i g
sig al
i gi g
ac oss
the
cou t y.
This
yea ,
swi e
flu
cases
i
Delhi
have
i c eased
ea ly
six-fold
compa ed
to
last
yea .
I
a
Be galu u
school,
mo e
tha
500
stude ts
a d
21
staff
membe s
fell
ill.
I
Mee ut,
the
umbe
of
cases
has
ise
to
seve .
Health
depa tme ts
ac oss
Ha ya a,
Cha diga h,
a d
Utta
P adesh
have
issued
adviso ies.& bsp;So,
is
this
the
begi i g
of
a
pa demic
like
the
co o avi us,
a d
is
it
ow
ecessa y
to
get
tested
fo
swi e
flu
fo
eve y
feve ?

Why
A e
Swi e
Flu
Cases
I c easi g?

Acco di g
to
a
epo t
f om
the
Mayo
Cli ic,
weathe
cha ges,
ai ,
a d
humidity
c eate
a
ideal
e vi o me t
fo
the
vi us
to
th ive.
Fluctuatio s
i
humidity
a d
tempe atu e
activate
the
vi us.
This
is
why
swi e
flu
cases
i c ease
each
yea
a ou d
August
a d
Septembe .
But
this
time,
the
figu es
a e
shocki g:

These
figu es
show
that
this
is
ot
just
a
p oblem
of
o e
city
o
state,
but
a
atio wide
c isis.

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So
How
Do
You
Recog ise
The
Symptoms
Of
Swi e
Flu?

The
symptoms
of
swi e
flu
a e
ve y
simila
to
those
of
the
commo
flu:

How
Does
Swi e
Flu
Sp ead?

Acco di g
to
the
US
Ce te s
fo
Disease
Co t ol
a d
P eve tio ,
the
vi us
sp eads
th ough
d oplets
i
the
ai
whe
a
i fected
pe so
coughs,
s eezes,
speaks,
o
b eathes.
You
ca
become
i fected
if
you
b eathe
i
these
d oplets
o
touch
a
co tami ated
su face
(such
as
a
doo k ob,
si k)
a d
the
touch
you
eyes,
ose,
o
mouth.

A
i fected
pe so
begi s
sp eadi g
the
vi us
a
day
befo e
symptoms
appea .
This
mea s
you
may
ot
eve
k ow
someo e
a ou d
you
is
sick
a d
sp eadi g
the
vi us.
A
i fected
pe so
ca
i fect
othe s
fo
up
to
7
days
(up
to
10
days
i
child e ).

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People
Ma age
Bipola
Diso de
A d
Mood
Swi gs

A yo e
ca
get
the
disease,
but
some
people
a e
at
highe
isk
of
se ious
ha m:

• 
  Child e
  u de
  2
  yea s
  of
  age
• 
  Elde ly
  people
  ove
  65
  yea s
  of
  age
• 
  p eg a t
  wome
• 
  People
  with
  ch o ic
  diseases
  such
  as
  asthma,
  diabetes,
  a d
  hea t
  disease
• 
  People
  with
  weake ed
  immu e
  systems
  (ca ce ,
  HIV/AIDS,
  o ga
  t a spla t)
• 
  People
  livi g
  i
  c owded
  places
  like
  u si g
  homes
  o
  ba acks

So
Should
Testi g
Be
Do e
Fo
Eve y
Feve ?

D .
Nee aj
Nischal,
a
p ofesso
i
the
Depa tme t
of
Medici e
at
AIIMS,
Delhi,
says
that
testi g
is ‘t
ecessa y
fo
eve y
feve .
The
eed
fo
testi g
depe ds
o
the
patie t’s
symptoms,
the
du atio
of
the
ill ess,
the
p ese ce
of
su ou di g
i fectio s,
a d
isk
facto s.

• 
  If
  you
  have
  a
  mild
  feve ,
  cough,
  o
  so e
  th oat,
  you
  do ‘t
  eed
  to
  get
  tested
  immediately.
  Rest,
  eat
  liquids,
  a d
  mo ito
  you
  symptoms.
• 
  If
  the
  feve
  is
  goi g
  above
  102-103
  deg ees,
  the e
  is
  difficulty
  i
  b eathi g
  o
  the
  symptoms
  a e
  pe siste t
  a d
  wo se i g,
  the
  immediately
  co tact
  the
  docto
  a d
  get
  tested.

The
best
way
to
diag ose
swi e
flu
is
th ough
a
RT-PCR
(Real-Time
PCR)
test,
which
i volves
taki g
a
swab
f om
the
patie t’s
ose
o
th oat.

Followi g
the
atio wide
i c ease
i
cases,
the
U io
Mi ist y
of
Health
a d
Family
Welfa e
has
issued
a
atio wide
adviso y.
Seve al
states
have
also
issued
thei
ow
adviso ies:

• 
  
  Ha ya a:& bsp;The
  Health
  Depa tme t
  has
  issued
  advice
  o
  how
  to
  p eve t
  swi e
  flu
  due
  to
  the
  cha gi g
  weathe .
  People
  have
  bee
  advised
  to
  avoid
  shaki g
  ha ds,
  ot
  spitti g
  i
  public,
  a d
  ot
  to
  take
  medicatio
  without
  a
  docto ‘s
  advice.
• 
  
  Cha diga h:& bsp;The
  Health
  Depa tme t
  has
  issued
  a
  public
  adviso y,
  advisi g
  people
  to
  avoid
  public
  places
  if
  they
  have
  a
  feve ,
  cough,
  o
  s eeze.
• 
  
  Utta
  P adesh:& bsp;The
  health
  depa tme t
  has
  decided
  to
  set
  up
  special
  camps
  i
  slums
  a d
  co gested
  a eas.

Is
This
A
Epidemic
Like
Co o a?

No.
It’s
impo ta t
to
u de sta d
this.
H1N1
eme ged
as
a
pa demic
i
2009,
but
it’s
ow
pa t
of
the
seaso al
flu
spect um.& bsp;Cases
ise
a d
the
decli e
each
yea
as& bsp;the
seaso s
cha ge.
Yes,
cases
a e
u usually
high
this
time.
Six
times
highe
i
Delhi,
schools
closed
i
Be galu u,
but
this
is ‘t
a
ew
pa demic
like
the
co o avi us.
Neve theless,
we
should ‘t
be
complace t,
as
it
ca
be
fatal
fo
the
elde ly,
child e ,
a d
those
with
ch o ic
ill esses.

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