HAVERI: The state had halted
testing for H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, ever since the pandemic hit, since laboratories were needed to conduct
Covid-19 test. However, the department of health and family welfare’s
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) has now ordered resumption of
H1N1 tests at Covid laboratories.
Within a couple of days, 98 Covid-19 testing laboratories in the state are expected to test samples for H1N1. The move is aimed at checking the spread of swine flu in the state.
The order issued by
Parimala Maroor, planning director, IDSP, states influenza A-H1N1 tests must be conducted on all patients with symptoms of cold, cough,
fever and
acute respiratory infection. Health workers have been advised to form wardwise ILI clusters to weed out people with symptoms of the diseases and test them immediately.
“All districts should conduct H1N1 tests on SARI (severe acute respiratory infection) cases even they test negative for Covid,” the order states. “Authorities are also instructed to conduct H1N1 tests on 5% of total Covid positive cases in the state.”
Maroor’s order says patients with H1N1 should be given proper treatment and provided with
Tamiflu tablets. Authorities have been advised to maintain a stock of Tamiflu and other medicine in all wards.
“Ideally, medical staff like doctors, nurses and others, who are most exposed to the pandemic, must be vaccinated against H1N1,” Maroor states, who adds awareness programmes should be conducted at the district level.
However, Dr Jagadish Patil,
Haveri district surveillance officer of IDSP, said, “We have not yet received any order in this regard. We will start conducting tests once we receive the order. Testing for swine flu wouldn’t be a problem since all Covid testing laboratories are capable of conducting these tests too.”