Alisha Coelho reports on how edgy the first swine flu death has made Mumbaikars
Alisha Coelho reports on how edgy the first swine flu death has made Mumbaikars
Doctor, doctor
The fear has primarily manifested itself in the form of calls and queries to family doctors and hospitals.
Take pediatrician Dr Tanu Singhal at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital whose phone has been ringing off the hook.
"One parent whose daughter was suffering from a viral infection last month came back to ask us if he should be worried that he hadn't given her Tamiflu at the time.
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CHECK-ING IN: Patients are screened for swine flu symptoms at every entry point of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. |
Others called in to say that they were sneezing and wondering if this was a sign of swine flu.
Parents are also considering keeping their children out of school, but they need to realise that even if they do so, they might not be able to avoid the virus," she said.
At the hospital, all visitors are being screened with thermal scanners similar to those being used at the airports. "Our doctors are positioned at the entrances, scanning every patient.
Any patient with the slightest of symptoms is immediately taken to the emergency ward where further examinations are carried out," said hospital spokesperson Neelam Kanwar.
Family doctors, however, are mostly at a loss about what to do. General physician Dr Subodh Kedia from Bandra said there was a lot of confusion among doctors because of the lack of awareness.
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"Some have kept themselves updated on how to detect swine flu, but most are at a loss because the symptoms are so similar to that of viral fever," he said.
Injudicious pill popping was, however, not a problem just yet.
"We've had only a few requests at chemists in South Mumbai from people who've returned from foreign trips.
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However, those requests have neither increased and nor have we heard of reports of Tamiflu being sold over the counter," said Prasad Danave of the Retail Druggists and Chemists Association.
Scientists: Moral pressure has increased
Meanwhile, the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune, where the first casualty was reported on Monday night, said they were in the process of hiring over 30 more scientists to aid the 30-strong work force that was currently working on producing a vaccine for the H1N1 virus.
"The tragedy that took place was unfortunate and while we are not lacking in resources, infrastructure or manpower, we are bound by time since the virus strain takes 10 days to mature.
That said, the moral pressure has increased with the sad news of Reeda Shaikh's death and we hope that there will be a positive outcome soon," said Rajeev Dhere, senior director, SII.
Panchgani school reopens
The St Peter's Boarding School in Panchgani, where the first student outbreak was reported, finally reopened on Monday and school officials said parents were breathing easy again.
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"Day scholars returned on Monday and our school was fumigated during its closure. Our students were able to keep in touch with parents via email and phone.
The parents are now breathing much easier given that their children are no longer at risk," said a school official. At least 17 students had tested positive for the virus last week.
Demand for breaking newsOfficials at Kasturba hospital will install a TV in the isolation ward within the next week to keep patients abreast with all new developments in the now burgeoning epidemic.
"We have been giving constant feedback to the parents of children in the ward.
However, we have had some requests from patients who want to keep themselves updated and we will be installing a TV in the ward," said Kasturba hospital superintendent Dr Umesh Aigal.
He, however, denied that panic had set in, even as two more patients were referred to the hospital from the airport yesterday.
The male patients, one 28 and the other 36, had flown in from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and joined 12 others who are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
A total of 126 people, both confirmed and suspected cases, have received treatment at the ward since the outbreak.
Swine Flu DecodedAs of August 3, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has reported that there have been 1,88,139 confirmed and reported u00a0cases of swine flu and 1,265 deaths.
Symptoms: Fever, cough, headache, body aches, sore throat, runny nose Transmission: Via droplets that are expelled by speaking, sneezing or coughing. It's therefore best to avoid individuals who display the above symptoms
