Swine flu claims 810 lives this year

Swine flu had recently claimed 3 more lives and 19 others have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. Of the 19 who are diagnosed, 17 are in critical condition and admitted in Pune hospitals. The country is in a grip of swine flu with at least 810 succumbing to swine flu deaths this year.

With the three deaths, the toll has reached 810 this year. Among the three who died was a 60-year-old man from Bangewadi village in Latur district, who died in a Government Medical College Hospital; the second was a 47-year-old man from Satar district in Punjab who died in Poona Hospital and the third was a 42-year-old woman who died in a private hospital in Kolhapur.

A state health official had on Saturday notified about positive diagnosis of 7 more people for the infection. This has taken the number of cases in Maharashtra to 8, 241 this year.

Another health official added that swine flu tends to grip the country every year during the rainy season, which is the best time for the H1N1 virus to breed. He added that all types of influenza virus, including H1N1 grow and spread really fast during such climatic conditions. Moreover, the occurrence of several festivals between September and November brings several people together, thus leading to a spread of infections. This is why there are more cases being reported now.

Doctors suggest that people wear N95 mask especially in crowded places as the virus spreads via air such as when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Government organizations have been offering free N95 mask in different parts of the country. They are also encouraging people to use it by running advertisements and educational programs on television.

A government official is quoted to have said that most swine flu deaths occur because of late diagnosis of the disease. At a later stage, it is difficult to treat the condition. Doctors advise that people visit their doctor as soon as they observe swine flu symptoms.

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Source: tecake.com