With 15 new patients testing positive for swine flu in the Capital on Saturday, the total number of cases this season has gone up to 1,267. Also, 16 deaths have been reported in the city so far.
Confirming the rise in cases, a senior State health official said: “On Saturday, 15 new cases were confirmed. There were no new deaths. Forty-one people tested positive for swine flu on Friday. So far, 16 deaths have been confirmed in Delhi -- one in January, 11 in February and four in March so far.”
“There has been a rise in the number of swine flu cases in the city this year. In 2012, only 78 swine flu cases were reported with one death,” he added.
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Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Dr. A. K. Walia has assured that while there is a rise in the number of swine flu cases in the city, the hospitals are well stocked to take care of the patients coming in.
“The rise in the number of swine flu cases is a cause for worry but city hospitals have enough medicines and isolation wards ready to take in patients coming in for treatment. The prolonged winter could have caused the number of cases to increase this season,” he said.
City hospital also confirmed that they were getting cases of swine flu from the neighbouring States of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.
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“We would advise people to take basic precautions and to report to a hospital in case of persistent cold, headache, fever, sore throat and other swine flu like symptoms,” said the Delhi Health Minister.