Doctors advise pneumonia shots to fight swine flu

A day after the health department confirmed the first swine flu death in the district, doctors and health experts advised citizens to get vaccinated and warned against ignoring bacterial co-infections. According to doctors, pneumonia infections are the primary complicating factor in swine flu cases.

As per data with the district health department, In the past one month, 29 confirmed cases and more than 105 suspected cases of swine flu have been reported in Gurugram district.

A report by the private hospital where the deceased 58-yearold swine flu patient was admitted, stated that the woman died Thursday due to H1N1 related bilateral pneumonia, which is an infection of the tiny air sacs in both lungs and which further led to acute respiratory distress syndrome causing inflammation of the lungs, blockage of blood flow to the heart and septic shock.

“Many people who die from complications of the H1N1 strain also have bacterial co-infections such as pneumococcus, as has been seen in patients every year. The infections weaken the immune system and can cause respiratory or cardiac failure,” Dr Manoj Goel, a city-based pulmonologist, said, adding that people should get a pneumonia vaccine in addition to the yearly influenza shots.

“An H1N1 vaccine along with the normal influenza shot goes a long way in protecting against the disease,” he said.

Doctors said people with symptoms of the H1N1 influenza are screened and categorised into three categories—A, B and C— based on the severity of the symptoms. Category A patients have mild fever, cough and sore throat, body ache, headache, nausea and diarrhoea. These patients will be advised to stay at home and not mingle with others.

Category B patients have all the symptoms mentioned in Category A, but have high-grade fever and are in the high-risk category such as children, pregnant women and people above 65 years of age. They too need to be isolated at home, doctors said.

Category C patients have all symptoms of Category A and B, along with breathlessness, chest pain and a dip in the blood pressure. Doctors said Category C patients are at risk of bilateral pneumonia.

“Treatment is difficult and demanding for H1N1 patients who develop severe pneumonia. Patients require special, intensive care as it is life threatening,” infectious disease expert Dr Rajiv Gopala said, adding that the only way to avoid the flu and further complications is to get a yearly flu vaccine, wear a surgical mask in high-risk areas and wash hands with soap at regular intervals. “Consult a doctor as soon as swine flu symptoms occur. As the flu is contagious, the infected should stay at home,” he said.