UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the inauguration of the international yoga festival in Rishikesh on Sunday. (PTI)
Stating that “flu is not a disease” and people catch cold due to a change in weather, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday urged the media to “not create panic” over the disease and focus on finding solution.
Inaugurating the fifth Mukhyamantri Arogya Mela here, Adityanath said, “By creating panic over disease, there cannot be a solution. Instead, by having a systematic plan, solution could be found. In this regard, I will request even the media that there is no need to sow fear of diseases in the minds of people. Yesterday, I found that there was information of some number of people dying of swine flu in Meerut. Flu is not a disease. When the weather changes, some people catch a cold. It is flu in itself. Based on what it causes, we call some as swine flu or bird flu or by any other name.”
“That is why there is no need to create panic. Instead, people should be made aware about it. People should be told about the ways of prevention and cure, and the health department needs to be alert,” he added.
Flu a viral infection
Flu or influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by viruses. Cold is also viral respiratory illnesses, but caused by a different set of viruses. Both of these illnesses can have similar symptoms. Flu can lead to potentially life-threatening complications. According to WHO, annual epidemics of flu are estimated to result in about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness worldwide, and about 2,90,000 to 6,50,000 respiratory deaths.
Launching a month-long, state-wide vaccination drive for children to prevent recurrence of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and acute encephalitis (AE) syndrome, the CM said the government is taking further inter-departmental programmes for controlling and eradicating communicable diseases.
Recalling the deadly grip of the two diseases, largely in eastern Uttar Pradesh as an annual malady, Adityanath said, “From 1977-78 to 2016, around 500 to 1,500 children died of encephalitis within three to four months every year. But through massive campaigns conducted by our government, we have been successful in reducing the incidence of this disease from 56 to 60 per cent and reducing the death toll by 90 percent.” He added that other diseases such as dengue and kalazar too can be controlled like this.
He said that through previous four arogya melas in the state, more than 17 lakh people received treatment.