Express News Service
BENGALURU: The union health ministry on Friday confirmed that India recorded the first two deaths caused due to the H3N2 virus: one from Karnataka and the other from Haryana.
82-year-old Eregowda from Hassan district in Karnataka succumbed to the H3N2 Influenza virus on March 6. Karnataka Health Commissioner D Randeep confirmed Eregowda’s death.
The District Health Officer (Hassan) said that Eregowda was admitted to the hospital on February 24 at the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences and passed away six days later. He was brought to the hospital with Influenza-like symptoms and had comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes.
The health officers have surveyed all the primary and secondary contacts of the deceased Karnataka man to ensure all positive cases are identified. However, so far everybody including his wife has tested negative for the virus.
They plan to continue surveillance in the area for the next 14 days.
ALSO READ | Influenza virus H3N2: Cases with symptoms of fever on rise in Andhra
Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar also held a meeting with the state Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) earlier this week and released guidelines stating necessary precautions to be followed for avoiding the infection.
Sudhakar said the infection clears up within 2-5 days. “People who suffered from Covid-19 earlier seem to have a more intense cough after being infected with H3N2. More cases of infection are being seen in children below 15 years and those above 65 years. Pregnant women are also more likely to get infected.”
He said that the spread of the infection can be tackled through measures such as cleanliness, preventing crowding, and hand hygiene.
Meanwhile, on March 8, nearly 50 patients were admitted in a day at Hallet Hospital in Kanpur with symptoms of high fever, persistent cough, and shortness of breath. Dr Richa Giri, Head of the Medicine Department of Hallet Hospital told IANS, “It is difficult to differentiate this virus from Covid-19 and it is possible only after the test because it is a subtype of influenza A. It becomes difficult to test it because there is a separate kit for each subtype.”
ALSO READ | Test kits at low prices likely for Adenovirus, influenza cases in Bengaluru
(With online desk inputs)
BENGALURU: The union health ministry on Friday confirmed that India recorded the first two deaths caused due to the H3N2 virus: one from Karnataka and the other from Haryana.
82-year-old Eregowda from Hassan district in Karnataka succumbed to the H3N2 Influenza virus on March 6. Karnataka Health Commissioner D Randeep confirmed Eregowda’s death.
The District Health Officer (Hassan) said that Eregowda was admitted to the hospital on February 24 at the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences and passed away six days later. He was brought to the hospital with Influenza-like symptoms and had comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The health officers have surveyed all the primary and secondary contacts of the deceased Karnataka man to ensure all positive cases are identified. However, so far everybody including his wife has tested negative for the virus.
They plan to continue surveillance in the area for the next 14 days.
ALSO READ | Influenza virus H3N2: Cases with symptoms of fever on rise in Andhra
Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar also held a meeting with the state Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) earlier this week and released guidelines stating necessary precautions to be followed for avoiding the infection.
Sudhakar said the infection clears up within 2-5 days. “People who suffered from Covid-19 earlier seem to have a more intense cough after being infected with H3N2. More cases of infection are being seen in children below 15 years and those above 65 years. Pregnant women are also more likely to get infected.”
He said that the spread of the infection can be tackled through measures such as cleanliness, preventing crowding, and hand hygiene.
Meanwhile, on March 8, nearly 50 patients were admitted in a day at Hallet Hospital in Kanpur with symptoms of high fever, persistent cough, and shortness of breath. Dr Richa Giri, Head of the Medicine Department of Hallet Hospital told IANS, “It is difficult to differentiate this virus from Covid-19 and it is possible only after the test because it is a subtype of influenza A. It becomes difficult to test it because there is a separate kit for each subtype.”
ALSO READ | Test kits at low prices likely for Adenovirus, influenza cases in Bengaluru
(With online desk inputs)
