Published On : Fri, Aug 5th, 2022

Nagpur sees surge in swine flu cases, 5 succumbed to virus since July

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5000 vaccines have been made available to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for prevention of swine flu

Nagpur: As the number of swine flu cases is increasing in the city, the concerns of the Health Department have increased. As eight cases were reported in the city on a single day on Thursday, the vaccination drive to prevent swine flu will start soon. Five thousand vaccines have been made available to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for prevention of swine flu.

Out of the 75 infected in Nagpur Division, 45 are from the city. Currently 46 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals and two are on ventilators. Vaccination of high-risk individuals will soon be started in view of the increasing number of patients. It will be given to pregnant women in the second and third trimester, people with high blood pressure or diabetes.

The death audit committee at its meeting on Thursday confirmed five swine flu deaths in the district. Three residents of Nagpur city, one from rural and one out of district patient died of the H1N1 influenza. These are the first swine flu deaths of the year. Last year, one person had died of swine flu while there was no casualty in 2020. In 2019, 34 swine flu patients had died.

The panel comprising Deans of both Medical Colleges, Civil Surgeon, District Health Officer, and Chief Medical Officer of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) dismissed one suspected swine flu death from Nagpur rural. The patient had tested positive for H1N1 but the causes leading to the death were not justified, said officials.

The deceased in Nagpur city include a 63-year man from Nehru Nagar Zone, a 58-year-old woman from Gandhibagh Zone, and a 47-year-old man from Dhantoli. The Chandrapur resident was a 35-year-old man who was brought to the city for treatment but passed away due to the infection. The deceased from Nagpur rural, a 61-year-old man, belongs to Kahargaon in Borkhedi.

Meanwhile, eight more cases of swine flu were reported on Thursday. This took the district’s tally to 79 for this year. Of these, six patients are in home isolation and two on ventilators. Among the 75, NMC area has 45 patients while 24 are from out of the city. A total of 46 patients were hospitalized.

Nagpur district has received 9,800 flu vaccines. NMC has been allotted 5,000 doses, which would be administered to high risk groups in a special drive, informed Dr Gowardhan Nawkhare, NMC nodal officer for epidemic diseases.

Pregnant women in the second and third trimester, patients of hypertension or diabetes, and healthcare workers involved in treating flu patients would be covered in the high risk group on priority.

The vaccine will be given free of cost and on a voluntary basis. The vaccine-induced immunity lasts for a year, after two weeks of taking the jab. Fever, fatigue, allergies, swelling near the injection area, itching, headache and sweating are among the side-effects of the flu vaccine, said reports.