Swine flu survivors hold out hope.....

HYDERABAD: The toll of swine flu positive cases crossed the 600 mark this week after the air-borne virus started spreading its tentacles in May.
The H1N1 scare in the state only worsened in September with an average of two deaths reported everyday. But even as denizens worry about the air they are breathing and the hands they are shaking, swine flu survivors who have been through it all say people should stop fearing swine flu as a killer disease. While taking precautions and early detection can rule out fatality altogether, survivors also point out that battling the infection wasn’t as bad as people assume it is.

“I got scared when I tested positive as my wife is pregnant and I could even infect my four-year-old daughter. I was quarantined for four days and this distance from the family was the most difficult part. The initial two days were traumatic as I was getting calls from friends and colleagues and I feel I was getting stigmatised. But early treatment pulled me out of danger,” said a 39-year-old who got treated at AP General & Chest Hospital. This survivor says he resumed work two days after getting discharged and has not had any health problems after that.

Survivors say that if detected early, the treatment for swine flu is rather simple with a two-drug dosage schedule followed for five days.

A doctor from Osmania General Hospital who was on duty at the Shamshabad airport and tested positive, said, “People think that swine flu only kills but that is not so. While doing airport duty, I tested positive as the protective gear was not provided to us. I never thought it would be swine flu but isolated myself,’’ said the doctor, who says he had to explain to his mother and other family members that not all swine flu patients die.

Reiterating the fact which the specialists have been propagating on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a 27-year-old survivor from ECIL who was treated at Aware Global said his fitness regimen helped him battle H1N1. “Maybe because of this, I did not have much of a problem. I had high fever and mild body pains. I was discharged within five days and do not have any health problems now.”

Around 500 people who tested positive for swine flu are hale and hearty. The swine flu death toll stands at 42. Survivors suggest that general hygiene, keeping your body warm and consulting a doctor when doubtful will make a huge difference.

“I took medical help only four days after I started getting the symptoms and fainted in the hospital emergency. I was lucky but I would suggest that when the symptoms are early, an individual who reports to the hospital, he will recover without any problem. As swine flu intensifies in cold, it is better to keep your body warm,” said a 43-year-old resident of Gayatri Hills who sought treatment at Apollo Hospital. This MNC employee is now on his way to Chennai and says he could resume work within a few days of being discharged.

Health expert and founder and president of Institute of Health Systems Dr Prasanta Mahapatra said that the number of cases and deaths are not alarming since swine flu was an epidemic and was spreading like one. “Swine flu is an acute infectious disease. The number of cases and deaths only give us an indication how fast it is spreading. The cases and deaths are not alarming. An epidemic generally effects a large number of people.” He suggested that general hygiene, eating nutritious food and weight control would help in containing the spread of the infection.