Team Herald
PANJIM: Since January 2017, the deadly H1N1 virus or swine flu, has claimed nine lives in the State. As per data, around 189 patients have tested positive for the H1N1 virus in the State, showing a marked increase from the previous year.
Statistics available with the Directorate of Health Services show that since January 1 to September 1, 2017, 707 samples were sent for testing out of which 189 tested positive and there were 9 deaths. In the previous year, 390 samples were sent for testing of which six tested positive with no deaths reported.
Speaking to Herald, State Epidemiologist, Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said, “Till September 1, 189 patients have been tested positive and so far there have been nine deaths. Out of the nine deaths two have died only because of swine flu, while others died due to complications along with swine flu, as most had diabetes and other respiratory illness.”
He added, “There is also what is called as the high risk category – children below age of five and people above 65 years,
pregnant women, those suffering from uncontrolled diabetes – who should not take the viral infection lightly and should seek a doctor’s help and treatment for even a mild fever.”
He said it is necessary to put a high risk patient on anti-viral medication, preferably before any complications develop.
Asked whether Goa has the necessary infrastructure, such as labs to test samples, Betodkar said that currently Goa Medical College (GMC) does not have the facility and they have to send the samples to Karnataka at the Manipal Centre for Virus Research for which the result takes 4 days.
“In Goa we have private laboratories which test the sample but they charge Rs 4,000-5,000 per test whereas the Manipal Centre for Virus Research is affiliated to the Government of India which is free of cost,” he said.
