Delhi reported 166 new H1N1 cases in 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally to 2,612, while health authorities strengthened hospital preparedness amid the seasonal influenza surge.

Delhi reported 166 fresh H1N1 cases in the last 24 hours, up from 138 cases recorded a day earlier, taking the cumulative number of swine flu cases in the national capital to 2,612, according to Delhi government data.The total number of Influenza-A cases has also risen to 3,300 from 3,177 recorded on Wednesday, data accessed by PTI showed.

Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh on Thursday visited Indira Gandhi Hospital and reviewed preparedness measures for dealing with the rising H1N1 and seasonal influenza cases, officials said.
During his visit, the minister took stock of the hospital's flu management arrangements, including isolation facilities, emergency services, testing infrastructure, availability of medicines and deployment of medical staff.
A dedicated flu clinic has been made operational at the hospital, along with isolated beds for influenza patients requiring care, officials said.
The minister's visit comes a day after he directed Delhi government hospitals to strengthen emergency services and ensure adequate availability of isolation beds, doctors, testing facilities, medicines and other essential resources.
Hospitals were asked to maintain at least five isolation beds, while larger hospitals were directed to keep 10 or more beds for managing influenza and vector-borne disease cases. They were also told to maintain shift-wise duty rosters and ensure round-the-clock availability of doctors and medical staff.
The latest figures mark a rise from Wednesday, when the national capital reported 138 new H1N1 cases in the preceding 24 hours, taking the cumulative number of cases to 2,446. The total number of Influenza-A cases stood at 3,177 on Wednesday.
With 166 fresh cases reported in the latest 24-hour period, the H1N1 tally has now reached 2,612, while Influenza-A cases have risen to 3,300.
Dr Mohit Bhardwaj, MBBS, MD (Pulmonology), Consultant, PB Health, Gurgaon, said the current H1N1 surge in Delhi was significant, but residents need not panic. "What we are seeing this year is a genuine shift; H1N1 has overtaken H3N2 as the dominant influenza strain circulating in the capital," Bhardwaj told PTI.
He said monsoon humidity was creating favourable conditions for viral transmission, with hospitals consequently witnessing higher footfall at fever clinics. "The concern isn't the virus alone, it's how symptoms overlap with dengue, COVID-19 and the common cold, which makes early clinical differentiation difficult without testing," he said.
Bhardwaj advised people against self-medication and said those with high-grade fever lasting more than two to three days, breathlessness, chest pain or persistent cough should get tested promptly.


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