Viral disease: Flu cases on the rise in Sargodha

An increasing number of flu cases have been reported in different hospitals of the district in the past few days. The usual coughing and sneezing associated with dry weather is keeping people from enjoying the chilly evenings after an unusually hot summer.

The emergency and outpatient departments of public hospitals are overcrowded with patients suffering from the flu, cough, high fever, chest congestions, allergies and asthma.

The sudden increase in the number of patients suffering from influenza virus has taken the health experts by surprise.



Health Expert Sheraz Mushtaq said patients with flu related diseases, including cough, throat problems and diarrhea were visiting the hospital in large numbers. He advised the people to take precautionary measures to protect themselves from being affected with flu and other diseases.

In January 2016, at least 19 people died of flu. 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 received 575 samples from the patients. Of these, 159 tested positive for influenza A H1N1.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2016.