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Journalism of Courage
CLOSE TO 3,000 persons have been infected with A (H1N1) virus (swine flu) and there have been 147 deaths due to it across Maharashtra this year. Pune recorded the most cases at 540 with 36 deaths, according to the latest state health department report. An analysis shows that around 46,570 persons have been infected with A(H1N1) virus with swine flu claiming at least 3,804 lives since the pandemic struck in 2009.
Dr Subhash Salunkhe, advisor to the Maharashtra health minister Tanaji Sawant, told The Indian Express that there was a dent in circulation of the A (H1N1 virus) due to the impact of coronavirus disease. “Experts at a recent meeting of Indian Council of Medical Research experts and Centre for Disease Control also have called for the need for vigilance as mortality related to influenza, swine flu was more than that of coronavirus disease. While Covid is easily transmissible, the virulence is lower than that of influenza,” Dr Salunkhe said. He also made a strong case for vaccination against four strains of influenza, especially for the elderly and those with comorbid conditions such as diabetes and obesity.
As per the state health department report, there were a total of 1,600 swine flu cases across Maharashtra in 2020 and 2021. In 2019, however, prior to the Covid pandemic, there were 2,287 cases of swine flu across Maharashtra with 246 deaths. This year around 2,992 cases of swine flu have been registered across Maharashtra with 147 deaths till now.
According to the updated figures from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), at least 880 persons were positive with swine flu since January till date. According to Dr Sanjeev Wavare, Assistant health chief, Pune Municipal Corporation there have been 39 deaths. “However, 15 persons among those 39 were from Pune city while the remaining had sought treatment here but hailed from other areas,” Dr Wavare said.
There have been 15 deaths each due to swine flu in Kolhapur, Nashik, and Thane, and 11 each in Ahmednagar and Thane. After Pune, cities such as Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur have the highest number of swine flu cases at 345, 327 and 198 respectively. Dr Pradeep D’Costa, chief intensivist at KEM hospital, said that this year, the number of swine flu cases were more than that of Covid. “While symptoms can be similar to Covid, there should be a strong clinical suspicion to make the differential diagnosis,” Dr D’Costa said. Health officials said that a throat swab test was not required if the patient had mild symptoms such as sore throat, cough.
Headache and bodyache can be treated at home . However, in the event of severe throat pain and fever, oseltamivir can be administered. In high risk cases, a throat swab can be taken for confirmation of swine flu, health officials said.
50% of state’s Covid cases in Pune, Mumbai
Of the 5,978 new Covid infections detected across Maharashtra in the week ending September 11, around 1,711 were from Mumbai and 1,253 from Pune. According to the state health department report, Mumbai accounted for 29 per cent of the new Covid infections in Maharashtra last week while Pune accounted for 21 per cent.
Overall, however, there has been a decline in new infections and according to the report, as against 8,370 Covid cases detected from Aug 29-Sept 4, there were 5,978 new infections in the Sept 5-11week.
Maharashtra’s Covid positivity rate in the week ending September 11 was 4.24 per cent and Pune, Chandrapur, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Kolhapur were among 11 districts with a Covid positivity rate higher than the state average.
