9 dead, 19 test positive for swine flu in Dehradun

DEHRADUN: Swine flu continues to tighten its grip in the state with the death toll from the infection rising to nine and the total number of patients testing positive for the virus standing at 19 on Monday. All deaths and incidents of infection have been recorded after January 3.
Three more patients from Dehradun - a 68-year-old man from Dharampur, a 36-year-old woman from Sahastradhara Road and a 23-year-old from Rajpur Road - were admitted to the hospital on Monday.A one-year-old boy from Dunda village in Uttarkashi who was admitted to Mahant Indiresh hospital on January 17 and showed symptoms of fever, headache and reported difficulty in breathing, has also tested positive for the virus.
Dr S K Gupta, chief medical officer of Dehradun, told TOI that samples of nine patients from Doon Medical College Hospital and one from Coronation Hospital have been sent to Delhi central lab for testing.
The state nodal officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Dr Pankaj Singh, added that people should get tested if they feel any of the symptoms associated with the flu.
“We urge parents of children below five years of age, pregnant women, those above 65 years of age or those relying on steroids for anti-cancer treatments, suffering from respiratory ailments or diabetes to approach hospitals immediately on seeing any symptoms of swine flu.”