Swine flu in Pune | Symptoms and Precautions

After the death of 14-year-old Reeda Sheikh, the student of St Anne's school of Pune, more than a thousand people thronged Pune's government-run Naidu Hospital on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, as many as 24 new swine flu cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, eight of them being in the National Capital Region (NCR).

How did it originate?

A new research has revealed the origins of swine flu after scientists discovered that the transmission of the H1N1 influenza A virus to humans occurred several months before recognition of the existing outbreak.

In the new research, an international team, led by Oxford University, used evolutionary analysis to estimate the timescale of the origins as well as the early development of the swine flu pandemic.

According to the scientists, the virus was actually derived from several viruses circulating in swine, and that the initial transmission to humans occurred several months before recognition of the outbreak.

Symptoms and Precautions

The first symptoms of swine flu are fever (greater than 100°F or 37.8°C), sore throat, body ache and fatigue. Some patients have also complain about running nose diarrhoea and vomiting.

Persons who have travelled overseas recently should be extra cautious and seek medical help immediately if they have these symptoms.

But these symptoms alone would not suggest that a person is infected by Swine Flu, as it can be confirmed only after testing a respiratory specimen, that’s taken from the suspected case within the first four to five days.

People with the flu are advised to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) to relieve the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu.

However, the best way would be to get in touch with your doctor, who can help you get the right treatment.