Swine Flu Death Toll Reaches 373: Take Steps To Prevent It

Despite the state government taking precautions to curb swine flu, the HIN1 virus took four lives on Monday taking the death toll to 373. According to the state government release, 131 new cases were registered on Monday. With this, the total number of swine flu cases reached 5,659 this year. Out of the new 131 cases registered in the state, 25 were registered in the city. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) stated that 17 patients are on life support, with nine on Bi-PAP (bi-level positive airway pressure) machines and 23 are on oxygen supply in city hospitals. The civic body said 132 patients are in stable condition.

Municipal corporation also mentioned that they had provided 20,555 Tamiflu tablets and 468 Oseltamivir syrup bottles for kids on Monday. Around 14,000 medical teams have already surveyed a population of 63 lakh people. As many as 90,000 swine flu positive cases were identified in the initial stage and all of them were given proper treatment, says the state government.

What is Swine Flu?

Swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, is a relatively new strain of an influenza virus that causes symptoms similar to the regular flu. It originated in pigs, but is spread primarily from person to person. Swine flu made headlines in 2009 when it was first discovered in humans and became a pandemic. Pandemics are contagious diseases affecting people throughout the world or on multiple continents at the same time.

Like other strains of the flu, H1N1 is highly contagious, allowing it to spread quickly from person to person. A simple sneeze can cause thousands of germs to spread through the air. The virus can linger on tables and surface areas like door knobs, waiting to be picked up.

Prevention

The best means of dealing with swine flu is to prevent it. The best way to prevent swine flu is to get a yearly flu vaccination. Other easy ways to prevent swine flu include:

• frequently washing hands with soap or hand sanitizer
• not touching your nose, mouth, or eyes (the virus can survive on surfaces like telephones and tabletops)
• staying home from work or school if you're ill
• avoiding large gatherings when swine flu is in season

 

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