In These New Times

The Hindu

4th October, 2009

The swine flu cases continued to dip in the State even as one more person, D. Satyanarayana Goud (35), died at Gandhi Hospital, authorities confirmed. On Saturday, out of 112 samples tested, 11 persons were found to be swine flu positive while the death toll, according to health authorities, has now surged to 37.

The victim, who died on Saturday at Gandhi Hospital, had a history of heart ailments and was a patient of rheumatoid arthritis, officials said.

The deceased needed ventilator support and was referred to Gandhi Hospital from Chest Hospital. The patient was sent to Chest Hospital from Kamineni Hospital, authorities confirmed.

Meanwhile, number of patients at the outpatient department of Osmania, Gandhi and Chest Hospitals continued to decrease on Saturday. Chest Hospital received only 15 patients while Osmania and Gandhi Hospitals together received 50 patients with swine flu like symptoms.

Authorities have again requested general public to continue taking precautions because the dry and cold spell, which will follow the rains, would be ideal for the H1N1 virus to thrive.

“Once rains subside, people will start venturing outside and again the virus will start transmitting. Public should be wary and take precautions,” swine flu State coordinator Dr. K. Subhakar.

Meanwhile, at Care Hospitals, a woman underwent angioplasty and later on the hospital doctors detected that she had swine flu.

As a result, the whole angioplasty unit consisting of doctors, paramedics, nurses and other staff who took part in the procedure are undergoing prophylaxis treatment for swine flu.

As a precaution, the operation theatre where the surgery took place had to be shutdown for a day.