H1N1 might be on its last legs

But It Killed 1,500 Indians, Says Govt

New Delhi: The H1N1 swine flu pandemic has killed over 1,500 Indians but the number of people who got infected is much higher—over 30,000. However, the good news is that the outbreak seems to be weakening. Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Tuesday that H1N1 cases in the country had dropped in the past few weeks.
    “Till May 2, there have been 1,501 laboratory confirmed deaths due to the pandemic, while 30,581 people have been affected with the virus in the country,” he said. India reported its first swine flu death on August 4, 2009, while the first case was recorded on May 16, 2009.
    But should India be complacent? “No,” said director general of Indian Council of Medical Research Dr V M Katoch. Speaking to TOI, Dr Katoch said, “We will have to wait and watch very carefully this year. Till now, all the three previous pandemics this century have taught us that pandemic waves keep coming every two years after an outbreak. We could also end up seeing the pandemic peak this winter.”
    “By next year, we expect the virus to become endemic in the country infecting people like seasonal influenza does. However the spread of the virus won’t be as fast,” he said.
    India has screened over one crore passengers at 22 international airports for symptoms of flu. Experts globally have hailed India’s exercise. India also strengthened its laboratory network to test for influenza. When the outbreak first took place, the country had just two major labs capable of testing for H1N1. At present, there are 45 labs—24 in the government sector and 19 in the private sector—testing clinical samples.