Two Kandivali locals succumb to swine flu

Two Kandivali residents succumbed to the deadly swine flu virus on Thursday and Saturday, taking the city’s death toll to 20 this year. Of this total, seven victims are Mumbaikars and 13 are visitors who had come to the city for treatment. The cause of death for both the latest victims has been identified as respiratory failure with diabetes mellitus in the case of H1N1.

Meanwhile, the city registered 54 new swine flu cases on Saturday, of which only two are cases of visiting patients. With this, the total count of Mumbai’s swine flu cases stands at 870 so far this year, of which 116 are from outsiders. Of the 54 new swine flu patients, 30 are getting treated at outpatient departments (OPDs) and the rest are reported to be stable by the BMC’s health department. However, one out-station patient is reported critical and has been put on a lifesupport system.

According to BMC officials, one of the most recent patients, a 45-year-old woman, was a patient of diabetes mellitus and thyroid. When diagnosed with symptoms such as a fever and cold, she was admitted to Ambedkar Hospital in Chinchpokli on February 26, but was subsequently shifted to Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central on February 28.

However, her health deteriorated further after she got diagnosed with H1N1 pneumonitis. She breathed her last on Thursday after suffering from respiratory failure.

Another woman, aged 47 years old, had known cases of diabetes mellitus and auto-immune thrombocytopenia, and was put on steroid therapy. She was shifted from Medicenter Nursing Home to Ambedkar Hospital on Thursday. She died on Saturday in the hospital due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in the case of H1N1.

Swine flu has had a severe impact on the city and has claimed many lives.

Local health experts believe that early diagnosis and treatment is the only key for tackling the disease. “The influenza virus is surviving in the air and the best one can do is to seek a doctor at the earliest in case of any flu-like symptoms. Good hand hygiene, a healthy diet and covering the mouth while sneezing and coughing will help stop the spread of the disease,” said Dr Om Srivastava, the head of the infectious disease department at Jaslok Hospital.