This story is from April 4, 2019

One death, 69 H1N1 cases since January: Health services

One death, 69 H1N1 cases since January: Health services
Representative image
PANAJI: The directorate of health services (DHS) has registered 69 cases of H1NI and one death since January and it expects to see sporadic cases till monsoon sets in.
1

State epidemiologist, Dr Utkarsh Betodkar, said the DHS tested 180 samples for H1N1, of which 69 tested positive for the flu. Unlike Gujarat and Rajasthan, the states which had a large number of H1NI cases during winter and now see a drop in statistics due to change in weather, he said Goa will continue to have swine flu cases during summer as well.
“It’s because Goa doesn’t experience extreme weather conditions like other states.
We will have cases of swine flu in April and May as well, but few in number,” he said.
In 2019, from January to March-end, Goa saw fewer cases of swine flu as against the corresponding period in 2018. In 2018, four H1N1-related deaths were registered. This year, till date, only one case has been reported. In February, an 82-year-old man died of H1NI.
In 2017, over 150 cases were detected including seven deaths. Most of the deceased were in a state described as ‘comorbid condition’.
Persons suffering from any or all of the illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension, are advised to be extra careful. They need to see a doctor immediately in case of flu to avoid any kind of complication in case it is H1NI, DHS officials said.
Betodkar said a person, without any travel history, may also contract H1N1, but it can be treated effectively with the right medication.
He advised people not to resort to self-medication, but consult a doctor. “The person should also stay at home until the condition subsides lest he/she may spread the virus.”
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA