Two patients infected with H1N1 virus have died in Kashmir Valley while over 70 persons have tested positive and are undergoing treatment, health officials said on Wednesday.
“There have been two deaths so far of the patients who were infected with the H1N1 virus and 71 more patients have tested positive for the virus and are undergoing treatment,” Director, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Showkat Zargar told reporters.
Mr. Zargar said while one death was confirmed to have occurred due to the virus, another female patient had critical cardiac ailments as well and may have died of those ailments.
“She had critical cardiac ailments also and we believe she died of those causes. But she was infected with the H1N1 virus and we are not sure if that was the cause of her death,” he said.
“ While the institute had enough supplies of testing and treatment equipments, there was a need to have more if there was an increase in number of patients. ”
The director said the institute had so far tested 275 samples out of which 71 had tested positive for the Swine Flu virus.
“So far this year, we collected 670 suspected samples and out of which we found 275 to be eligible for testing. Out of these 275, 113 had Influenza A infection and out of those 71 were declared positive for the H1N1 infection,” Mr. Zargar said.
He said though the virus was in the community, there was no reason to panic.
“We cannot stop the virus. But there is no need to panic and awareness about it is a must. People should not unnecessarily rush to hospitals,” he said.
Mr. Zargar said while the institute had enough supplies of testing and treatment equipments, there was a need to have more if there was an increase in number of patients.
