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Government hospital treats relatives of patients

Vaccine will be slowly extended to outpatients who are suspect to have also been affected
Chennai: “I have been asked to take Tamiflu tablets along with my wife Ammulu (37), who is receiving treatment for swine flu at the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital. Doctors say I should also continue the course of medicines for 10 days,” said Arumugam on Saturday.“It is a good move,” he says, and adds that the regimen is being followed for the close relatives of other swine flu patients also. “I have two daughters, who are married. Currently, my wife, son and myself live together. The doctors have asked me to bring my son tomorrow for medical check-up to prescribe the medicine.”
“We did not travel anywhere, nor anybody in the area got affected by the flu. How did my wife become sick?” asks Arumugam.Nineteen-year-old Arbab Kaamil from Lucknow, second-year B.Tech student of a reputed engineering college, also has the same doubt. He asks, “When none of my friends is affected, where did I contract it from?”
All his friends who visit him in the ward were tested and no one showed symptoms of swine flue. They are also given Tamiflu tablets.
Doctors say Arbab’s immunity level is probably low and his unhygienic practices could be one of the reasons for his getting affected. While 20 per cent of the infection is airborne, the possibility of contracting it through infected hands is 80 per cent, the doctors add.
They say, “The hospital received vaccines three days back and this is being given to people who are mostly in contact with patients, including doctors, nurses and family members.” The vaccine will be slowly extended to the distant relatives of the patients who come to visit the patients and outpatients who are suspect to have been affected by the virus. Five persons have been admitted to isolation ward No. 215 in tower-2 of the hospital.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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