Post Ganesh festival,H1N1 virus on the prowl

Following an analysis,state health officials found out that of the 126 infected people,58 were children with six being less than one year. Joint director of health Dr Ashok Mehta said 13 children were in the 1-5 age group,39 in the 6-15 year group,33 in the 16-30 age category while 24 were between 31 and 45 years,nine in the 46-60 year group and only two more than 60 years of age.

Though no new H1N1 death was reported on Friday,nine people were diagnosed with the flu and 13 were in ICU at various hospitals. A 15-year-old boy from Gholap High School at New Sanghvi tested positive. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s education officials visited the school where screening of students were conducted.

Among others,children showing flu-like symptoms are from Bishop’s School,Ranade Bal Mandir and Gholap School. On Friday,cantonment medical officers visited Bishop’s School and screened the 25 students in the dormitory and six students with swine flu symptoms were taken to Naidu Hospital. However,the doctors at the hospital did not think it was swine flu,said Frank Freese,Bishop’s School principal. At present,a boy with fever has been admitted to Jehangir Hospital.

Children from as many as 13 schools have contracted the infection in the last week,Mehta said. These include zilla parishad schools at Bhor,Junnar,Loni Kalbhor,B K Birla School at Talegaon and Don Bosco School at Lonavala. Screening has also been done of over 500 members of residential school at Police Training Centre at Khandala where 15 have been found symptomatic and swabs have been taken for test. A five-year-old from Ranade Balak Mandir at Shaniwar Peth and a seven-year-old from Anjuman Islam School at Panchgani showed swine flu symptoms and their throat swab reports are awaited.

Mehta said there were two schools of thought about school closure. “While the school closure had a desired effect and the subsequent festivities during Ganeshotsav again saw more cases both from the city and outskirts,we feel that the increasing number of cases is an eye-opener. This virus has spread in the community,” he said.

Meanwile,the Indian Medical Association doctors are again advocating a ‘Mexican’ style closure. Dr Dilip Sarda,president of the city unit of IMA,said there should be a total closure of the city while Frank Freese said closure would not help.