Two more patients died of swine flu in the city during the last 24 hours. A native of Devarapalli mandal died on Thursday afternoon while a woman from the old CBI office area died on Wednesday.
Both died while undergoing treatment at the Government Hospital for Chest Diseases and TB here. The number of patients who died due to swine flu in the city has now reached five.
“The (swine flu) virus is becoming virulent and the cool climate during the last few days makes it conducive for the virus. Generally the virus lives for about two hours in normal weather but it is active for more time now”, District Medical and Health Officer J. Sarojini told The Hindu.
Help at hand
Patients with swine flu symptoms must approach the Government Chest Hospital, King George Hospital or the other government hospitals for treatment since the private hospitals were not providing targeted treatment. They were also not as alert as the Chest Hospital or the KGH. Most of the five patients who died due to swine flu had first gone to private hospitals and later to the Chest Hospital, Dr. Sarojini said. Meanwhile, Principal Secretary, Health, L.V. Subrahmanyam and a team of doctors from Hyderabad are arriving here on Saturday to monitor the situation and provide help, suggestions and support to the local administration.
The patient who died on Thursday was G. Mosayya (35) of Chintapalpudi village in Deverapalli.
Review meet
With the cases of swine flu being reported from slums, extensive campaign to create awareness about prevention and control of the fever must be taken up in the slums, Collector J. Syamala Rao said at a review meeting with medical officers here on Thursday.
Awareness about swine flu was not much in the slums and areas inhabited by more lower middle class people, where the density of population was more and there were not many literates in these areas, necessitating extensive awareness campaign, he said.
