Three new swine flu cases have been reported in Noida since January 11, taking the number of cases in the district to 10. All three were admitted to various private hospitals, and discharged after treatment.

All the three new patients are male and residents of Gautam Budh Nagar.

Officials say that residents should take precautions and use masks while going out.

During the 2017-18 winters, the district had a total of 63 cases. Unofficially, however, private hospitals said over 30 cases have been reported in the district this year too. While all these cases are reported to the health department, they have not been confirmed by the department, sources said.

“This is the season for an increase in the number of swine flu and is the time when we always receive more cases. Our appeal is that people take precautions, avoid infections and take the vaccine , which costs Rs 800,” Dr Anurag Bhargava, chief medical officer of Noida, said.

He added that with increasing cases, some incidents of ruckus have also been reported from private hospitals where some patients’ kin assaulted hospital staff. The relatives allegedly claimed that swine flu patients were being kept with other patients, increasing the risk of infections.

“We have checked that all hospitals have isolation wards for swine flu patients. People need not panic as all suspected swine flu-infected patients are kept in separate wards in all hospitals,” Dr Bhargava added.

Doctors say that with increasing cases of swine flu, people should take precautions, especially those with weaker immunity, senior citizens and pregnant women.

Symptoms of swine flu include sudden high fever, dry persistent cough, lingering headache, prolonged tiredness and weakness, pain in muscles and bones, joint pain and limb pain, diarrhoea with abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea, sore throat, running or blocked nose, unremitting sneezes, disturbed sleep and loss of appetite.

“It is advised that people wash their hands regularly with soap and water while they are at home and avoid coming in contact with people who are sick. People should use masks when going out,” Dr Bhargava said.

First Published: Jan 22, 2019 15:53 IST