On a day filled with suspense over the condition of the relatives of a person who died of A (H1N1) influenza, public health authorities heaved a sigh of relief on Tuesday evening after his wife and her son-in-law tested negative.
A 79-year-old farmer from Tirupur died at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Sunday. While the authorities maintained on Monday that the relatives did not show symptoms of flu, his wife and son-in-law turned up at the hospital the same night complaining of throat pain and uneasiness.
They wanted to be admitted to a separate ward and not the isolation ward for suspected flu patients. They left without informing the authorities but returned later and got their throat swabs sent for tests. Doctors confirmed in the evening that tests revealed they did not have the flu. They were discharged.
Deputy Director of Health Services S. Senthilkumar said both had been given contact treatment, normally given to persons in close contact with flu-positive patients.
They were given Tamiflu drugs as a preventive measure.
