Delhi swine flu update: 45 new cases, total 615

The total number of people infected by the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in Delhi reached 615, with 45 new cases of swine flu cases being reported on Thursday, an official said. Forty five people have tested positive for swine flu but there have been no deaths today (Thursday), a doctor of the Delhi Health Service (DHS) told IANS.

According to health officials, there has been a sudden spurt in the number of swine flu cases -over 600 cases and 10 deaths in February till Thursday as against 39 cases and one death in January. They attribute the rising number of cases to a weather patterns and low hygiene standards of people. According to the Delhi government, only four cases were reported during the same period in 2012, and a total of 78 cases and one death in the entire year.

Prevention

Swine flu isn t a disease that you can catch from pigs. It is in fact, a human virus that spreads from one human to another. The virus is extremely contagious. Here are some swine flu prevention tips:

• It can spread through coughing and sneezing so always cover your face while doing so. And make sure people around you in office or home also follow this.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth too often
• Maintain a high level of personal hygiene. Always wash your hands before or after eating and particularly after returning from a public place.
• Sometimes virus can spread through droplets that have remained on surfaces of things like laptops, phones so avoid using someone else s items.
• Avoid public places, unhygienic conditions, etc.
• If your city/area is swine-flu endemic, always wear a standard swine flu mask in public places (the H-95 mask which is worn by nurses and doctors while collecting samples from swine flu victims). Normal surgical masks which sell like hot cakes during swine flu season might not give enough protection.
• If you feel sick and look like you are developing a cold or fever, stay at home and take enough rest. Rest has also been shown to increase interferons which help our immunity to fight the virus better. Keeping away from others also prevents spread of the infection.

With inputs from IANS