Click to play videoNew Delhi: India's first fatality from swine flu has been reported from Pune where 14-year-old Rida Shaikh died on Monday night.
The hospital reportedly failed to diagnose the flu and start treatment on time.
It was on July 21 that Rida first showed some symptoms like a sore throat, running nose and headache. She was taken to a general physician for symptomatic treatment and started to feel better.
So she went back to school on July 23. Rida was a Class IX student at the reputed girls' convent St Anne's located in the Camp area of Pune.
But her fever came back, and on July 26 Rida was taken to the OPD of Jehangir Hospital in Pune where doctors first diagnosed her condition as an 'upper respiratory tract infection' and gave her antibiotics.
She was admitted to Jehangir Hospital on July 27 because of respiratory problems.
On July 29 her condition deteriorated rapidly and she was shifted to the ICU and put on ventilator support.
It was not until July 30 that throat swabs were sent to the National Institute of Virology for testing. Finally she was given Tamiflu only on August 1. It was a possible medical misjudgment for which the girl paid for with her life.
Meanwhile, there are no signs of the swine flu menace abating with seven new cases reported across the country on Monday taking the total toll to 558.
Three new cases have been reported in Pune with two of them school students who may have contacted the virus from fellow students who reported positive earlier.
The third case is of a 26-year-old male who recently arrived from abroad and reported to the identified health facility himself.
Delhi has also reported two fresh cases. One of them is a 11-year-old student who contacted the virus from a previously positive case, while the other is a 21-year-old man who returned from the Gulf last Saturday.
One new case has been reported in Chennai where an eight-year-old child returning from abroad was identified with the symptoms at the airport.
Ahmedabad, too, reported one fresh case. A 27-year-old doctor who was deployed at the airport on screening duty first reported symptoms of influenza like illness that was later diagnosed as swine flu.
However, of the 558 positive cases reported so far, 470 have been discharged.
The tragic death of Rida has brought into focus the need for awareness about swine flu.
Dos and don'ts about swine flu
- The best option would be to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas if possible. Though the list of cities is going to be a long one still avoid large crowded groups.
- Good hygiene practices go a long way so wash your hands regularly and also watch out for any flu-like symptoms like persistent fever and cough and cold.
- Consult a doctor ideally at designated government hospitals if the symptoms persist.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes and stay away from infected people. This is necessary since the H1N1 virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, around other people.
- The virus also spreads when you touch something infected and then touch your mouth, nose or eyes.
- But the virus does not spread by eating well-cooked pork products though it would be a healthy option to wash your hands properly after handling pork.
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