Delhi CM reviews H1N1 surge as Health Minister says situation under control

Cautioning the public against panic, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Tuesday that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta convened a review meeting over H1N1 cases in the city and assured that the situation regarding influenza is “under control”.

Speaking to reporters after a briefing on HiN1 cases, the Delhi Health Minister said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government remains fully committed and attentive. I want to reassure the people of Delhi once again: there is no shortage or crisis anywhere, and there is absolutely no reason to panic.”

“Everything is fine and under complete control. Our hospitals, doctors, and medical staff are fully prepared to serve the citizens of Delhi,” he said.

Pankaj Kumar Singh said action would be initiated against health institutions for turning away patients by citing shortage of beds in isolation wards.

The national capital has recorded over 2,300 Influenza-A cases this year. This figure includes 1,777 H1N1 cases till Friday.

In another development, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said that schools have been advised to remain alert. He said the Education Department has also issued a circular on the issue.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Rajiv Bahl said that H1N1 is a seasonal flu. What we commonly refer to as cough and cold is often caused by respiratory viruses, and at present, a large proportion of these cases are being attributed to H1N1, which is a type of Influenza A virus.

The most important point is that a majority of cases are very mild and self-limiting. Therefore, there is no need for concern, nor is there any need for everyone to undergo testing to identify exactly which virus is causing their cough or cold. Testing is useful when the result would have an impact on treatment, said a statement.

If you are sick, try to avoid meeting too many people for the first two or three days, especially when you have symptoms such as cough, cold, sore throat, fever or body aches. Get adequate rest and, if you have to meet others, maintain some distance, the statement said.

An official said, “We are testing a panel of the most common respiratory viruses. For Influenza A, we identify the particular subtype, such as H1N1, H3N2, H5N1 or H6N2. We also test for SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus, and adenoviruses, among others.”

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by Education Post)