The Health Ministry has confirmed 451 cases of H3N2 flu this year, with both patients who died having pre-existing medical conditions. Patients with H3N2 flu are displaying symptoms that resemble those of COVID-19.
The Health Ministry said that two people died from H3N2 flu, and more people have gotten sick since December. They found at least 451 cases of H3N2 after looking all over the country. Reports say an 82-year-old man named Hire Gowda died from H3N2 flu in Karnataka’s Hassan district. He had diabetes and high blood pressure and was in the hospital from February 24 to March 1.
Last week, a 56-year-old person from Haryana’s Jind district died from H3N2 flu. They had lung cancer and were confirmed to have the virus in January.
Symptoms of H3N2, such as fever, cough, breathlessness, wheezing, and pneumonia, are comparable to those of COVID-19, according to reports. The Health Ministry has recommended wearing masks and practicing social distancing as preventative measures against the spread of the virus.
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Monitoring incidences of influenza – H3N2 Flu
The health platform reported 3,038 confirmed cases of different flu types, including H3N2, as of March 9. There were 1,245 cases in January, 1,307 in February, and 486 in March.
According to the Ministry, India goes through two periods of seasonal flu each year. One is from January to March, and the other is after the monsoon season. Cases of the flu are expected to decrease by the end of March.
The Ministry confirmed that there were 955 cases of swine flu and H3N2 cases reported in the past month. Tamil Nadu had the most cases (545), followed by Maharashtra (170), Gujarat (74), Kerala (42), and Punjab (28).
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A drug for the flu that is available without charge.
The Health Ministry said that the World Health Organization recommends using Oseltamivir to treat both H1N1 and H3N2. Oseltamivir is a medication that is usually used to treat H1N1.
The Health Ministry said that Oseltamivir could be obtained for free from the public health system. In 2017, the government made it easier to buy Oseltamivir by changing the law. The States can give out the drug, and the government helps in emergencies.
On March 11, NITI Aayog will hold a meeting to see how many people have the flu in different states. They’ll discuss ways to control it better, like making more rules and guidelines. The goal is to manage the increasing number of cases.