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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 09/16/2009 : 10:23:00
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Indian swine flu deaths top 200
A girl at a swine flu testing facility in Delhi
There are more than 6,500 cases of the H1N1 flu strain in India
The number of people to die of swine flu in India has crossed 200, health officials say.
The new deaths have been reported from the Indian capital, Delhi, and the western Maharashtra and Gujarat states.
The number of swine flu cases in India has also climbed to over 6500, officials say. They have been reported from 28 states.
Many schools in affected cities have closed temporarily because of the outbreak of the disease.
Maharashtra state has recorded the highest number of deaths (87) followed by Karnataka (66) and Gujarat (18), the reports say.
In August, colleges and cinemas in Mumbai were temporarily closed because of fears about the spread of flu.
The virus is thought to have killed more than 3,000 people around the world.
The swine flu (H1N1) virus first emerged in Mexico in April and has since spread to many countries.
Many of India's confirmed cases of swine flu have been among people who have returned from overseas travel.
Passenger screening has been introduced across India's main 22 international airports. |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/20/2009 : 05:27:04
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6 ways to protect your child from swine flu
ANI, ANI 20 September 2009, 11:23am IST
As swine flu continues to infect school kids, parental anxieties have stirred up with each one trying to be cautious enough to avoid the spread
swine.jpg
protect your child from swine flu (Getty Images)
of HINI virus that has caused severe illness and deaths worldwide.
Dr Galit Holzmann-Pazgal assistant professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston suggest parents can ease their anxieties by arming themselves with facts about H1N1 and using some commonsense tips.
* Wash your hands after you touch...and Twitter
Washing your hands is the single-most important step to prevent the spread of H1N1. The virus is spread by droplets from coughs and sneezes as well as touching hands and objects contaminated with these droplets such as each other''s phones, computer keyboards, iPods and video games.
* Know the symptoms
Main symptoms of swine flu are fatigue and fever. Others include body aches, runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat and fever, headache, chills, diarrhea and vomiting
* Know when it is an emergency
Call your doctor if your child has symptoms including rapid breathing, not drinking enough, fussiness or if symptoms improve and then return with fever and worsened cough.
* With mild cases, call your doctor first
If your child just feels lousy, and doesn''t have a high fever or trouble breathing, call your pediatrician instead of heading to the hospital.
* Keep the kids home
Keep your sick child at home for at least 24 hours after his fever is gone (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) except to get medical care or for other necessities, according to the CDC.
Encourage her to cover her mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, throw away used tissue in the waste basket, and to clean her hands every time she coughs or sneezes.
* Start the vaccinations
Federal officials expect release of the H1N1 vaccine in October. The vaccine may require a second shot given three weeks after the first. It may take another two weeks before the vaccine fully protects the body against the flu. Recent studies showed that one shot may protect against H1N1, stretching the supply of the vaccine.
Until the H1N1 shot is ready, Pazgal advises families to go ahead and get the "regular" flu shot, which protects against the seasonal flu and is already available. That way, your children won''t get the flu twice in one season.
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Edited by - S.ravi on 09/20/2009 05:28:03 |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/21/2009 : 02:26:36
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Swine flu virus has not mutated into more serious disease: WHO
AFP 21 September 2009, 11:06am IST
HONG KONG: The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that the swine flu virus had apparently not yet mutated into a more serious disease and that the development of vaccines was proceeding on track.
The vaccines for (A)H1N1 influenza produced so far have been very effective, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said at the opening ceremony for the organisation's annual Western Pacific meeting.
"The virus can mutate any time. But from April to now, we can see from the data given to us by laboratories worldwide that the virus is still very similar (to the previous state)," Chan told reporters.
Ideally, three billion doses of vaccines could be produced worldwide annually, she added, noting that China had already begun to vaccinate people.
She also said the Hong Kong government could relax its measures against a swine flu outbreak "step-by-step", advising them in the long-run to focus resources on saving patients and reducing the number of serious cases.
Chan said that only high-risk patients such as the elderly, the obese and those with underlying illnesses would be severely affected by the disease.
Swine flu in Hong Kong has raised fears of a repeat of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, when concern about the mysterious killer turned the bustling metropolis into a virtual ghost town.
Chan managed Hong Kong's response to avian influenza and SARS during her nine-year stint as Hong Kong's director of health.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/21/2009 : 08:26:33
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1. On 20th September 2009, 49237 passengers have been screened at the Airports 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6184890.
2. 2. Till date, samples from 35148 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 8153 (23 .1%) of them have been found positive.
3. 3. Out of the 228 cases reported during the day, five are imported cases and rest are indigenous.
4. 4. Seven deaths are reported during the day; 3 from Maharashtra (2 Pune, 1 Nagpur), 1 from Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad), 3 from Gujarat (1 Gandhinagar, 1 Surat, 1 Vadodara).
5. 5. Health Department, Govt. of Karnataka has now reported ten laboratory confirmed deaths that took place between 8th September to 18th September, 2009 and these deaths are reflected in the cumulative total. Four more deaths have taken place in Karnataka, the laboratory confirmation of which is awaited.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/22/2009 : 21:00:26
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On 21st September 2009, 40623 passengers have been screened at 22 Airports with 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6225513.
2. Till date, samples from 36820 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 8477 (23 %) of them have been found positive.
3. All the 324 cases reported during the day are indigenous cases.
4. Two deaths are reported during the day, one from Maharashtra (Ahmednagar), and another death from Delhi. Gujarat has reported one death for which laboratory confirmation is awaited.
5. Health Department, Govt. of Karnataka has confirmed three deaths that were reported on 18th and 19th September with laboratory verification and these deaths are reflected in the cumulative total.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2009 : 11:11:46
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Five deaths take India's swine flu toll to 262
2009-09-22 23:10:00
Five swine flu deaths, including three in Karnataka, were reported Tuesday, taking India's total toll due to the contagious influenza A (H1N1) virus to 262, health authorities said here.
Also, 324 new swine flu cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected so far to 8,477.
According to health ministry officials, the three deaths in Karnataka were reported between Sep 18-19. 'The laboratory confirmation (received Tuesday) showed that all the deaths were due to swine flu,' an official said here.
With this, Karnataka's toll has reached 82.
Delhi recorded one death Tuesday.
A 20-year-old woman, who was admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, succumbed to the virus,state nodal officer Anjan Prakash told IANS. With this death, the toll in the Indian capital has gone up to nine.
Maharashtra, which tops the list of swine flu deaths and cases in the country, also reported one death, taking its total number of deaths to 107.
The officials said one death was reported from Gujarat, but it was yet to be confirmed if the patient died due to the virus.
In Ghaziabad, neighbouring the national capital, a public school had to close down its primary section after two students were reported to be affected with the flu.
'Two students were reported to be infected with the virus. Both are now fine and responding well to the treatment in Delhi hospitals. As a precautionary measure, we have closed down the primary section till Sep 28,' said school principal Meeta Rai of Delhi Public School at Indirapuram.
As per school officials, there are around 3,000 students in the primary wing of the school.
As Karnataka is seeing a surge in swine flu deaths, authorities are now planning clinical audits.
'The purpose behind the clinical audit is to find the actual causes behind the death of 80 people due to H1N1 influenza in the state,' Usha Vasunkar, director of Karnataka's Health and Family Services, told IANS.
'We've taken a decision to have a clinical audit on Monday. During our earlier survey, we found that 40 percent of the swine flu victims had co-morbid factors (pre-existing illness) and many died due to late admission. However, the audit will give a clear picture of the actual cause for deaths,' she added.
The profile of each victim, which includes name, age, sex, symptoms and cause of death, will be studied by a panel of experts during the clinical audit.
Of Tuesday's 324 new cases, the national capital recorded as many as 108 cases.
According to Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia, 2,065 people have so far been admitted and treated in Delhi government hospitals. 'More than 90 percent of these patients have been successfully treated and discharged,' she said.
As many as 1,018 children have been treated for influenza A (H1N1).
The Delhi government, meanwhile, also announced that Tamiflu, the anti-influenza medicine, will be sold at authorised retail chemists. The central government had last week allowed 'restricted sale' of Tamiflu through over 500 chemists.
The decision to alow Tamiflu sales was taken during a meeting held by Walia after the state government received notification from the central government.
'The government has implemented the notification of the Indian government to allow sale of Tamiflu at the authorized outlets of authorized Schedule 'X' chemists in the capital to facilitate the patients of swine flu as well as to curb the swine flu epidemic,' Walia said.
Swine flu cases were also detected in Maharashtra (67), Tamil Nadu (43), Andhra Pradesh (28), Karnataka (20), Gujarat (2) and Haryana (1).
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2009 : 20:42:56
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1. On 22nd September 2009, 35600 passengers have been screened at 22 Airports with 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6261113.
2. 2. Till date, samples from 37502 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 8696 (23.1 %) of them have been found positive.
3. 3. Of the 219 cases reported during the day; four are imported and the rest are indigenous cases.
4. 4. Two deaths are reported during the day, one from Maharashtra (Ahmednagar), and another from Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad).
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2009 : 09:21:33
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1. On 23nd September 2009, 35988 passengers have been screened at 22 Airports with 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6297101.
2. 2. Till date, samples from 38407 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 8979 (23.3 %) of them have been found positive.
3. 3. Of the 283 cases reported during the day; one is an imported case and the rest are indigenous.
4. 4. Nine deaths are reported during the day, four from Maharashtra (1 Pune, 1 Nasik, 1 Mumbai, 1 Nagpur), 3 from Karnataka (2 Bangalore, 1 Udupi), 2 from Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad). Three deaths in Andhra Pradesh & One death in Uttarakhand which were reported earlier are now laboratory confirmed and are reflected in cumulative total.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2009 : 03:15:34
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1. 1. On 25th September 2009, 38473 passengers have been screened at 22 Airports with 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6374208.
2. 2. Till date, samples from 39858 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 9492 (23.8 %) of them have been found positive.
3. 3. Of the 208 cases reported during the day; Six are imported cases and the rest are indigenous.
4. 4. One death is reported during the day, from Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad). Three more deaths have occurred in Andhra Pradesh, laboratory confirmation for these are awaited. Laboratory confirmation of four deaths in Karnataka has been received from the Health department, Govt. of Karnataka, and is now reflected in the cumulative total.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2009 : 07:08:58
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WASHINGTON - After months of warnings and frantic preparations, the second wave of the swine flu pandemic is starting to be felt around the country. Doctors, health clinics, hospitals, and schools are reporting rapidly increasing numbers of patients experiencing flu * Dire flu predictions scaled back
* Hingham teen dies in Ohio after a battle against H1N1
* Second wave of swine flu pandemic begins to hit US
While most cases so far are mild, and the health care system is handling the load, officials say the number of people seeking treatment for the flu is unprecedented for this time of year.
In Austin, so many parents are rushing their children to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas with swine flu symptoms that the hospital had to set up tents in the parking lot to cope with the onslaught.
In Memphis, the Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center emergency room got so crowded with feverish, miserable youngsters that it had to do the same thing.
And in Manning, S.C., a private school where an 11-year-old girl died shut down after the number of pupils who were out sick with similar symptoms reached nearly a third of the student body.
“It just kind of snowballed,’’ said Kim Jordan, a teacher at Laurence Manning Academy, which closed Wednesday after Ashlie Pipkin died and the number of ill students hit 287. “We had several teachers out also.’’
“H1N1 is spreading widely throughout the US,’’ said Thomas Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The CDC reported last week that at least 26 states are now reporting widespread flu activity, up from 21 a week earlier.
Even though some parts of the Southeast that started seeing a surge of cases first now seem to be showing a decline, that could be a temporary reprieve, Frieden said. And other parts of the country are probably just starting to feel the second wave.
“Influenza is perhaps the most unpredictable of all infectious diseases,’’ Frieden said.
The pandemic has prompted scattered school closings around the country in recent weeks, including 42 schools that closed in eight states Friday, affecting more than 16,000 students.
Many colleges and universities have been hit particularly hard, forcing some to open separate dorms for sick students. Ninety-one percent of the 267 colleges and universities being surveyed by the American College Health Association are now reporting cases.
The government is starting an unprecedented system to track possible side effects as mass flu vaccinations begin next month. The idea is to detect any rare but real problems quickly, and explain the inevitable coincidences that are sure to cause some false alarms.
In just a few months, health authorities hope to vaccinate well over half the population against swine flu, which doctors call the 2009 H1N1 strain. No more than 100 million Americans usually get vaccinated against regular winter flu, and never in such a short period.
The last mass inoculations against a different swine flu, in 1976, were marred by reports of a rare paralyzing condition, Guillain-Barré syndrome, a sometimes fatal paralysis. Other possible side effects could potentially include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and miscarriages.
On top of routine vaccine tracking, these government-sponsored monitoring projects are planned:
#9632; Harvard Medical School scientists are linking large insurance databases that cover up to 50 million people with vaccination registries around the country for real-time checks of whether people see a doctor in the weeks after a flu shot and why. The huge numbers make it possible to quickly compare rates of complaints among the vaccinated and unvaccinated, said the project leader, Dr. Richard Platt, Harvard’s population medicine chief.
#9632; Johns Hopkins University will direct e-mails to at least 100,000 vaccine recipients to track how they’re feeling, including the smaller complaints that wouldn’t prompt a doctor visit. If anything seems connected, researchers can call to follow up with detailed questions.
#9632; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing take-home cards that tell vaccine recipients how to report any suspected side effects to the nation’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting system.
“Every day, bad things happen to people. When you vaccinate a lot of people in a short period of time, some of those things are going to happen to some people by chance alone,’’ said Dr. Daniel Salmon, a vaccine safety specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Material from the Associated Press was included in this report. |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2009 : 07:18:10
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H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Also called: Swine flu
Swine flu is an infection caused by a virus. It's named for a virus that pigs can get. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
There are antiviral medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by
* Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.
* Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
* Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
* Staying home from work or school if you are sick.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2009 : 10:22:23
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1. On 28th September 2009, 36753 passengers have been screened at 22 Airports with 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6484378.
2. 2. Till date, samples from 42025 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 10049 (23.9%) of them have been found positive.
3. 3. Of the 178 cases reported during the day; three are imported cases and the rest are indigenous.
4. 4. Five deaths have been reported during the day, ( Delhi 1, Maharashtra 2,Haryana 1 and Andhra Pradesh 1). Laboratory confirmation of One death reported on 28.9.09 from Kerala has now been received, which has been reflected in the cumulative total.
5. 5. Laboratory confirmation is awaited for One death from a Private hospital in Delhi during the day.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2009 : 08:41:11
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First swine flu vaccine doses expected soon
The first doses of swine flu vaccine will arrive in the Bay Area next week, but there won't be much of it and it will be in the form of a nasal spray, which isn't recommended for two of the groups most vulnerable to illness - pregnant women and people with chronic health problems.
As of late this week, the federal government was planning to send at least 600,000 doses to 21 states, plus four major cities, in its first vaccine shipment. It should arrive at public health departments and in private hospitals and doctors' offices Tuesday.
San Francisco is expecting about 7,000 of the 350,000 doses being sent to California, according to state and local public health officials.
Most communities will be offering the vaccine to school-age children first, because they are particularly vulnerable to infection and also tend to spread the virus to others. In San Francisco, the nasal spray vaccine, known as FluMist, is being delivered to about 30 pediatricians throughout the city, said Public Health Department spokeswoman Eileen Shields.
"If people are interested in getting their children vaccinated, they need to call their pediatrician," Shields said. "Find out if their practice has it, and if they ordered it, and when they can get it."
No-pain vaccine
Unlike the flu shot, the nasal spray uses a live virus to promote immunization. The virus is weakened and cannot make someone sick, but it isn't recommended for people with compromised immune systems. It may be preferable for children who aren't fond of getting shots.
Even as the first small batches of spray vaccine arrive, public health agencies are planning later this month and early next month for the largest mass-immunization effort since the polio vaccine became available in the 1950s. Swine flu, a form of influenza Type A, subtype H1N1, has infected millions of people worldwide since it was first reported in April.
The first doses of the injectable vaccine are expected to be sent out the week of Oct. 12. California health officials are expecting about 200,000 doses in the first week and ultimately may receive up to 18 million doses of both injectable and spray vaccine to cover the entire flu season. That doesn't include doses of seasonal flu vaccine.
In the Bay Area, distribution plans for the injectable and spray vaccines vary widely from one community to another, but all of them are focused on reaching high-risk groups first. Those groups include health care and emergency workers, pregnant women, caregivers of infants younger than 6 months, young people ages 6 months to 24 years, and adults younger than 65 with chronic health problems.
Some regions are planning school vaccination clinics to immunize large groups of children all at once. Other regions are relying on private doctors and businesses to provide the bulk of the vaccinations, just as they would with the seasonal flu.
Free clinics in Bay Area
Alameda County is holding a series of free clinics in early November to immunize people who don't have a regular doctor or who lack health insurance. Everyone else is being asked to get the vaccine from their primary care physician, said public health spokeswoman Vanessa Cordova.
In Contra Costa County, the vaccine will be available starting next week at a series of free clinics at 49 elementary schools, said Wendell Brunner, director of public health. "It's important that we get it into as many school children as possible right away," Brunner said.
San Francisco will be using free vaccination clinics to reach as many people in the city as possible who meet the high-risk criteria. The clinics will start Oct. 26 and move to various spots around the city, including Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
Kaiser Permanente, the largest health care provider in the Bay Area, will be getting a small amount of spray vaccine next week, and is expecting large shipments of injectable vaccine in mid-October. Kaiser holds seasonal flu clinics every year at its hospitals and medical offices, and it will do the same for the swine flu vaccine, said Dr. Stephen Parodi, chief of infectious disease for Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
Not everyone convinced
"There's been a lot of interest, both in respect to seasonal and H1N1. That's a very good thing," Parodi said. "In the past, the general public has sometimes not had sufficient knowledge about how important it is to get vaccination from influenza."
People may be interested in the vaccine, but recent surveys suggest that many Americans aren't yet convinced that immunization is necessary.
A Consumer Reports poll released earlier this week showed that about a third of U.S. adults planned to get the swine flu vaccine - 21 percent said they would not get it, and 43 percent said it would depend on what happens this flu season. Of parents participating in the poll, 35 percent said they would vaccinate their children, 14 percent said they wouldn't, and half said they were still undecided.
What you need to know about swine flu vaccine
Q: Who can get the nasal spray?
A: Healthy children and adults under age 50. It is not recommended for pregnant women or people with chronic health problems.
Q: When it's available, who should get the injectable vaccine first?
A: Health care and emergency workers; pregnant women; caregivers of infants under 6 months; young people ages 6 months to 24 years; and adults under age 65 with chronic health problems.
Q: How many doses of the vaccine should I receive?
A: If you're 10 years old and older, you need only one dose of vaccine; children under age 10 need two.
Q: What if I've already had swine flu?
Experts say anyone who has already had a confirmed or suspected case of swine flu should get vaccinated anyway. People with confirmed cases probably are already immune, but the virus could change and leave them vulnerable once more.
Q: How do I know if I have swine flu?
A: Unless you've been tested by a doctor, you don't. Symptoms of swine flu - fever, body aches, fatigue - are the same as for seasonal influenza. But swine flu is the main strain of influenza circulating right now, so if you have the flu, chances are good it's swine flu.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 00:54:23
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1. On 2nd October 2009, 45545 passengers have been screened at 22 Airports with 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6603966.
2. 2. Till date, samples from 45065 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 10730 (23.8%) of them have been found positive.
3. 3. Of the 197 cases reported during the day; one has foreign travel history and rest are indigenous cases.
4. 4. Four deaths have been reported during the day (Gujarat 1, Maharashtra 3)
5. 5. Laboratory confirmation of one death reported from Karnataka on 30.9.09 has been received, which is reflected in the cumulative total.
6. 6. Two deaths are reported during the day from Maharashtra, laboratory confirmations of which are awaited.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 09:27:27
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Note:
1. 1. On 3rd October 2009, 46489 passengers have been screened at 22 Airports with 83 counters manned by 225 doctors and 172 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 6696000.
2. 2. Till date, samples from 45683 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in Government Laboratories and a few private Laboratories across the country and 10894 (23.8%) of them have been found positive.
3. 3. Of the 164 cases reported during the day; two have foreign travel history and rest are indigenous cases.
4. 4. Two deaths have been reported during the day (Maharashtra 2).
5. 5. The two deaths from Maharashtra reported yesterday have now been confirmed and are added in the cumulative figure.
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'Swine flu more dangerous than bird flu'
