2 suspected swine flu cases reported from Gzb hospital

The blood samples of the patients have been sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for confirmation.

The first two suspected cases of swine flu of the season have been reported from a private hospital in Ghaziabad, officials said. The blood samples of the patients have been sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for confirmation and the reports are awaited.

One of the patients is a woman from Dadri in Noida who is in her early 40s, the other patient is a 75-year-old man from Raj Nagar in Ghaziabad. (HT File Photo)

While one of the patients is a woman from Dadri in Noida who is in her early 40s, the other patient is a 75-year-old man from Raj Nagar in Ghaziabad. According to doctors, while the woman has presented mild symptoms of the disease and has not been admitted, the man is in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment. Other ailments such as diabetes and hypertension are complicating his condition, doctors maintained.

Ghaziabad chief medical officer Dr NK Gupta said, “Both the cases were reported from Yashoda Hospital. Neither has been confirmed yet. It is unusual to get swine flu cases at this time of the year. We have taken all necessary precautions and have inspected the areas where the two reside.”

He added, “We are waiting for the blood samples that have been sent to NCDC for test.”

He maintained that both the patients had been travelling recently and it is likely that they could have contracted the infection elsewhere. The health department has also given doses of Tamiflu — the medication for swine flu — to the relatives of both the patients.

In 2017, just two cases of swine flu were reported from Ghaziabad. The last case was reported in October last year. The symptoms of swine flu are similar to a common cold — high fever, cough, cold, breathlessness, headache, nausea and loss of appetite.

“Nowadays, swine flu is uncommon. It is strange that suspected cases would be reported so early in the year. We have alerted all private hospitals to report cases of any such notified disease,” Gupta said.

The Gautam Budh Nagar district health department is also issuing an advisory regarding swine flu. “We have not received any confirmed case yet. The department has stocked the medicine needed to treat swine flu ,” Dr Anurag Bhargava, chief medical officer of the district, said.