Seasonal influenza : Flu claims two more lives

RAWALPINDI:

Two patients suffering from seasonal influenza died in two Rawalpindi hospitals during the last 24 hours.

Zahid, a suspected seasonal flu patient, died in the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) late on Sunday night.

Saleem Khan, another patient of H1NI influenza died in the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital.

Similarly, Razia, 30, who died in the HFH earlier, was later confirmed to be suffering from seasonal influenza.



This has taken the total number of deaths caused by flue since January 1 in the country to 22.

Another patient, Bibi Jan, who was treated against the viral infection in HFH, was tested negative.

Health officials said that two more patients who were tested HINI influenza positive were still being treated in the HFH, while three doctors of Allied Hospital who got infected during treatment of influenza patients have completely recovered now.

Health experts have advised people to stay away from cold and use hot drinks to avoid seasonal influenza. Due to a drop in temperatures and dry weather conditions the number of influenza patients was on the rise, health officials said.

On Saturday, NIH, a collaborative centre for research and training in viral diagnostics for the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Islamabad, reported that different public and private hospitals across the country and NIH’s seven laboratory-based influenza surveillance sites had received 575 suspect patient samples since the start of January.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th,  2016.