Reporting mismatch: Six swine flu deaths in Delhi but 31 alone in a single hospital

A total of 2,755 cases of swine flu have been reported from Delhi till September 17, according to the country-wide data released by IDSP. The number of cases is likely to be much higher as swine flu causes symptoms like fever, cold and cough and very few need hospital admission

A single government hospital in Delhi has reported more deaths due to swine flu than the total number of deaths reported from the state, according to the data released by the Centre.

A total of 2,755 cases of swine flu have been reported from Delhi till September 17, according to the country-wide data released by IDSP. The number of cases is likely to be much higher as swine flu causes symptoms like fever, cold and cough and very few need hospital admission (Hindustan Times)

Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital had reported 31 deaths due to influenza A (H1N1), commonly known as swine flu, till September 18. However, a total of six deaths have been reported from entire Delhi, according to data till September 17 released by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

“The numbers have now started coming down – there was a spurt in August end when we started registering around 100 cases in a single day, but on Sunday we received only 17 cases,” said SM Raheja, state IDSP official, who said that only three Delhi residents had died because of swine flu during the period.

According to the data from RML hospital, there have been 305 admissions due to swine flu till September 18. In the same period, Safdarjung hospital has recorded 45 cases and 17 deaths, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has recorded 55 cases and three deaths and Delhi government’s Lok Nayak hospital has had 19 cases and one death due to H1N1.

This means, just four hospitals in the city have a death toll of 52 due to swine flu.

A total of 2,755 cases of swine flu have been reported from Delhi till September 17, according to the country-wide data released by IDSP. The number of cases is likely to be much higher as swine flu causes symptoms like fever, cold and cough and very few need hospital admission. Only when there are severe symptoms like breathlessness, chest pain and sudden drop in blood pressure are patients asked to get admitted in a hospital.

This year, there has been a jump in the number of swine flu cases across the country. A total of 34,009 cases and 1,714 deaths due to H1N1 have been reported till September 17 this year. Maharashtra is the worst hit state with 5,191 cases and 568 deaths, followed by Gujarat with 6,994 cases and 413 deaths.

The rise in the numbers could be because of the change in the strain of the H1N1 virus from earlier California strain to the currently circulating Michigan strain, experts said.