Punjab records First Swine Flu case of this year

|HT|

Punjab has recorded the first swine flu death of the year with a 46-year-old man succumbing to the H1N1 virus at hospital in Ludhiana on Wednesday. The victim, Sandeep Kapur of Kitchlu Nagar, an advocate, was the co-convenor of BJP’s legal and legislative cell. He had tested positive for the H1N1 virus on June 17 and was undergoing treatment at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). He passed away at around 11pm, hospital authorities said.

State epidemiologist Dr Gagandeep Singh Grover confirmed that it was the first swine flu death in Punjab this year.

Two other patients – a 52-year-old Punjab Mata Nagar resident and a 67-year-old Durgapuri resident – are undergoing treatment for swine flu at the hospital. Their condition is said to be stable. All three patients were symptomatic when they were admitted to the hospital. Kapur had complained of breathing difficulties at the time of admission. Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr SP Singh said, “All those who had been in immediate contact of the patient were offered prophylactic treatment. They were not found to be infected.”

None of the patients suffering from the deadly flu had a travel history. Health department officials suspect that Kapur may have come in contact with an infected person.

A large number of people, including locals, BJP functionaries, and members of the legal fraternity, attended his last rites that were performed at a crematorium near KVM School.

The shift in seasonality of the virus has health department officials concerned. “Normally, swine flu cases are reported in October and March. We have sought the patient’s health records from the hospital and are investigating the matter,” said Dr Singh. A health department official, requesting anonymity, said it is suspected that the virus may have undergone a mutation, which was aiding transmission in summer.

The civil surgeon has advised people to wear masks in public places and avoid visiting crowded areas to check the spread of the infection. The district had reported 68 cases and five deaths in 2020, three cases and no deaths in 2021.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)