Even as the Karnataka Government braces itself to combat the spread of A(H1N1) virus, two more deaths were reported in the city on Sunday night.
While 50-year-old Sarojamma, a resident of Manjunathanagar, died at Tirumala Hospital in Kamakshipalya, 28-year-old Siddaraju died at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD). This takes the toll of A(H1N1) deaths in the city to 14.
Although the State health authorities are yet to confirm the deaths, authorities at both hospitals said the patients had died following complications of A(H1N1). Director of RGICD Shashidhar Buggi said Siddaraju had come to the hospital on August 21 in critical condition. “We learnt that he had first gone to Victoria Hospital and then to a private nursing home. We suspected A(H1N1) and sent his swabs for testing on the same day. We also started him on Tamiflu simultaneously. But his condition deteriorated and he died on Sunday. His reports confirmed he had tested positive for A(H1N1),” Dr. Buggi said.
G. Srinivas , a doctor from Tirumala Hospital, said Sarojamma was also brought in critical condition after being taken to the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and another hospital. “We put her on the ventilator from the day she was admitted (August 17), and also sent her swabs for testing. Her test reports received on August 21 confirmed she had A(H1N1). Although we had started her on Tamiflu on August 20 itself, her condition deteriorated as she also had diabetes and coronary heart disease. She died last night,” he added.
