A woman has tested positive for the contagious H1N1 (swine flu) virus at Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspecialty Hospital in Bariatu, civil surgeon Dr Vijay Bihari Prasad told The Telegraph on Wednesday.
Sources at the hospital said the woman is undergoing treatment since Monday under Dr Vijay Mishra in the isolation ward, and recovering well.
“The woman was referred from Guru Nanak Hospital, where she underwent treatment for five days,” a source at Medica said. “The lady had not gone outside the state but met several relatives from other states during a wedding. It is quite possible that some of her relatives might be carrying the swine flu virus.”
While the virus is contagious, its symptoms are much like common influenza: fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain, nausea, headache and, occasionally, severe stomach pain. Doctors say anyone with such symptoms should seek medical care especially if they experience shortness of breath, if high-grade fever persists for more than three days, and if a child who is affected has fast or laboured breathing and convulsions.
Monsoon care
With the onset of monsoon, city doctors alerted residents against other possible ailments common in the rainy season.
“During rainy season one should take sufficient preventive measures to protect oneself from water-borne diseases,” said Dr Ajay Kumar Singh, state coordinator of the IMA.
“It is always advisable to use boiled water. Also, one should immediately take off wet clothes to protect from skin diseases. One should take proper care to prevent entry of rainwater in ears. One should not allow water to stagnate inside the house as it may cause vector-borne diseases like chikungunya and malaria.”
Cardiologist Dr Praveen Jha advised to avoid alcohol and smoking during the rainy season because the “immune system becomes weak during the rainy season”.
Noted ophthalmologist Dr Bharti Kashyap also suggested taking proper care of eyes.
“During monsoon one should take proper care to protect eyes. Avoid hand to eye contact, always clean eyewear, beware of conjunctivitis, and avoid waterlogged areas,” she said.
