Experts prescribe caution as Delhi records 43 swine flu cases this year

Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant (internal medicine) at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said the hospital has seen several patients who arrived with symptoms of a viral fever and later tested positive for H1N1.

The Capital has recorded 43 cases of H1N1 flu (known as swine flu) till August 31 this year, data from the state government’s health department showed, with experts advising residents of the city to wear masks and wash hands regularly to prevent the infection from spreading.

Health experts said swine flu and Covid-19 shared a lot of symptoms, stressing the importance of getting tested to accurately diagnose and treat the illness. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Health experts said swine flu and Covid-19 shared a lot of symptoms, stressing the importance of getting tested to accurately diagnose and treat the illness.

Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant (internal medicine) at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said the hospital has seen several patients who arrived with symptoms of a viral fever and later tested positive for H1N1.

“We did see a spike in cases and because the symptoms are similar to Covid-19, it was important to test and then treat the infections accordingly,” said Dr Chatterjee.

He said that H1N1 is characterised by symptoms such as fever (high-grade, in some cases), sore throat, nasal congestion, headache and muscular aches. In some cases, patients can also experience diarrhoea and difficulty in breathing, in which case immediate medical help must be sought. Doctors said that symptoms typically last for five to seven days and for severe patients a dose of Oseltamivir drug, which is usually advised twice a day for five days, can help control the symptoms.