New Delhi, March 27: With the rise of H1N1 virus cases, commonly known as swine flu, 21 deaths (Till March 24) alone have been reported so far this year in the national capital, says data from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The data adds that this toll is worrisome, as this is the highest number of deaths due to swine flu after 2010. In that year, 77 people have died in New Delhi alone, while the national figure was 1,103.

Figures from the NCDC are alarming and says that immediate steps need to be taken as the swine flu is spreading very fast. Till now 3,512 cases have come to light from Delhi, while 21,982 is the figure for the entire country. In Delhi, the death toll rose to 21, while the national toll has reached to 741 till March 24, 2019. Madhya Pradesh: 41 Dead Due to Swine Flu in Indore.

Considering the previous year data, 205 people were affected by Swine flu in New Delhi, and it was 14,992 nation-wide. The deaths in 2018 in Delhi had touched two, while the national count was 1,103. In 2010, the cases of H1N1 virus affected people was 2,725 in Delhi, out of which 77 died. Though the cases jumped in the following year (4,307 in 2015), the death of affected people couldn’t cross 12.

Briefing more about the details of persons died, an official from the health ministry said, as reported by The Hindustan Times, “Six of the dead were Delhi residents. The other 15 deaths were of people from neighbouring states being treated in Delhi. The numbers are high because Delhi shares borders with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, where the number of cases is high.”

While Dr Desh Deepak from the department of respiratory medicine at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, as the daily quotes, “The sickest H1N1 patients are from other states and are referred here after they do not respond to treatment in their home state. There is a higher chance of these patients dying, and when they do, they get counted in the Delhi numbers.”

Several doctors opine that due to the increased awareness, more people are being admitted in the hospital for treatment. However, they even claim that delay in treatment makes the situation worse, leading to death. Swine Flu Prevention: Important Tips to Stay Protected From H1N1 Infection.

Head of the department of respiratory medicine in Safdarjung Hospital, Dr S Chakrabarti, said, “Most of the H1N1 patients that come to Safdarjung reach here after visiting a couple of other healthcare centres. Precious treatment time is lost because it takes around five days to get a definite diagnosis and after which getting to the hospital is also an issue. Sometimes the patients are transferred from hospital to hospital without proper ventilation. By the time they come here, it becomes very difficult to save them.”

According to NCDC, this year the infection was at the peak in mid-February, with 609 cases being recorded in a single week ending on February 17. Experts assume that cases are likely to increase further as India experiences the second peak of seasonal flu infections during the monsoons.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 27, 2019 10:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).