Report awaited for man quarantined for swine flu

The throat and nasal swabs of Sarkar — suffering from cold,fever and headache — have been sent for tests to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases,Delhi,and the National Institute of Virology,Pune. The reports for the tests are due to reach the city hospital on Saturday.

After the city was alerted for swine flu,an exclusive ward in the ID hospital was designated for the disease. Moreover,the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases,also located in Beliaghata,has stocked the equipment necessary for testing the presence of H1N1 virus which causes the flu.

An entire ward with 20 beds on the first floor of the ID hospital has been separated for flu patients. Currently,Sarkar is the only patient there. Separate areas have been demarcated for male and female patients with 10 beds in each area. This area is functioning with just two ventilators and one oxymeter for the 20 beds.

City government hospitals like Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC) and Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH),however,claimed that since the ID hospital has been designated as the referral centre,they would start taking precautions only if the government issues a directive to them.

The symptoms of swine flu are the same as that of the common influenza. Doctors said there were no confirmatory tests for the disease in the country now,but the World Health Organisation had developed a blood test kit that is still not available in the city.