Govt issues new guidelines to contain swine flu

People who have mild flu symptoms but whose results of swab tests for swine flu are pending can have the option of being treated at home and hospitalisation deferred under fresh guidelines announced by the Centre, a day after India registered its first death due to the virus.

The guidelines to contain the spread of swine flu in the country took into account that fear of isolation at stipulated hospitals was making less people with swine flu symptoms to report. India has reported 558 cases of swine flu till yesterday out of which 354 are contracted from abroad and the rest infected in the country.

 

"After the clinical examination by a doctor at the identified health facility, a person can be treated at home or at the hospitals pending results of the swine flu test," Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health Vineet Choudhary told reporters here.

He, however, added that the decision of the doctors at the identified health facility would be final regarding hospitalisation of the patient.

Chaudhary said, "People are apprehensive about being isolated and thus are avoiding hospitals. We don't want to lose patients that way."

According to the guidelines, if a person is being isolated and treated at home, then the care givers and family members would be given measures on how to protect themselves as well as take care of the patient.

"The decision to defer hospitalisation pending confirmation of swine flu stems from the fact that in monsoons we are seeing a huge rise in the number of patients suffering from common cold initial symptoms of which are quite common to those of swine flu," Chaudhary said.