‘Low temp, moisture conducive for infection’
CASE 1: Testing swine flu positive came as a surprise for a 45-year-old corporate employee. “It was surprising as I had not travelled out of the state,” said the man who is currently on medication at home in Arjunganj.
CASE 2: The family of a 48-year-old woman in Gomti Nagar, who tested positive for swine flu, thinks she got the infection from someone during a family function recently.
CASE 3: A 45-year-old trader from Ashiana said he had travelled to Goa, Pune and Mumbai. After he took ill, he got the tests done. “My recent travel history might have been the cause of swine flu infection,” he said. :
LUCKNOW: Different patients have cited different reasons for testing positive for swine flu, but majority said they got the infection without travelling out of the city.
Since January 1, 45 swine flu cases have been reported in Lucknow and majority of these patients (over 30) are recuperating at home.
Health experts said the ‘extended winter’ is a risk factor, as low temperature and moisture in the air are conducive for the spread of H1N1 infection. People need to remain cautious against swine flu in this period, they said.
Usually, the winter spell lasts till mid January, but the cold wave has intensified in February this year.
“There is no need to panic as mortality in swine flu is less than 1%. But people definitely need to remain alert against the risk factors,” said Dr Sheetal Verma, senior faculty, microbiology at the King George’s medical University (KGMU).
She said with rain, temperature might remain low for a few days, which is a favourable condition for bacteria and virus to survive.
“It is possible that due to weather change, the threat of swine flu may extend till mid-February,” added Verma.
To check spread of infection, people should put their elbow before the mouth while sneezing, said Prof Surya Kant, HoD pulmonary medicine at King George’s medical University.
On Wednesday, he conducted a training session for government doctors and narrated how they could diagnose and treat patients better.
“My mother had not travelled out of Lucknow in recent time. She only attended a family function that had visitors from other places. We can only think she got the infection from someone there,” said a youth. This patient, who tested positive for swine flu on January 29, is currently in the ICU at PGI.
“I had high fever and took medicine on the advice of the doctor. But that didn’t help much. Within hours, I started feeling cold also and hence I got a complete check-up that revealed swine flu infection,” said the trader from Ashiana, who tested positive for swine flu.