H1N1: Parents must keep an eye on kids
MUMBAI: Thane resident Vidya Bs five-year-old son is usually a human dynamo, always keeping his mother on her toes. But a week back, he had high fever and was unusually floppy. Vidya was alarmed but didnt suspect swine flu until his classmates mother mentioned that three children travelling in the same school bus had tested positive for H1N1.
He has never been so listless before. He also had stomach cramps and loose motions, says Vidya, who immediately got her sons throat swabs tested and got a positive report for H1N1. A couple of days of anti-flu medication and the child was back to his robust self.
While Vidya got the Rs 4,700 test done, many parents dont. And thereby hangs the tale of H1N1 in 2010swine flu is in the air, but there is no way to assess how many people are infected. Swine flu is in the air. But as not all the patients undergo the test, one cannot put a specific number to it, says senior chest specialist Dr Ashok Mahasur from Hinduja Hospital, Mahim. Officially, BMC statistics say that roughly 100 to 150 patients have tested positive for swine flu and 13 have succumbed to it in the second round.
The reason, Dr Mahasur says, is that most patients have mild symptoms. Only the worst patients come to hospitals, he adds. Paediatrician Dr Indu Khosla from Andheri (W), too, says most swine flu cases can be managed with medication. Paediatrician Dr Prashant Vaidya from Fortis Hospital, Mulund even says not all children with swine flu need oseltamivir or Tamiflu. In public hospitals, most children with respiratory symptoms and fever are given oseltamivir, says the doctor.
However Dr Vaidya adds, We need to be over-cautious. If a childs symptoms are not improving with medication within 24 hours, we need to review the case.
Dr G Ambe, civic executive health officer, says, Only people in high-risk categories such as pregnant women or children with delicate respiratory systems need to be cautious. He adds that there is no point in closing schools as the virus is already in the air.
A civic official says that there is no need to conduct the expensive tests. Children or adults are anyway put on Tamiflu the minute H1N1 is suspected, so why go through the test, he says.
Flu symptoms
The child is running a high fever and is floppy
The child has respiratory symptoms like congestion
In some cases, the child may even have stomach cramps and diarrhoea
Children with history of bronchitis or asthma need to be extra cautious