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Swine flu may break loose

Experts say virus now quickly spreading in wider community; 31 new cases confirmed

Staff Correspondent
Thirty-one new cases of swine flu were detected yesterday with experts warning Bangladesh's alert let el may soon be upgraded to "level 3" as the virus is quickly spreading from small clusters to the wider community.
These new cases bring the number of swine flu infection in Bangladesh to 194 since June 18.
"The situation is still at level 2. but as the infection is spreading rapidly, we're taking preparations to manage the patients presuming
a level 3 ahead." said Senior Scientific Officer of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (1EDCR) Moshtaquc Hossain.
He was speaking at a seminar on swine flu at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
He added w hen the flu spreads from cluster to community level rapidly it is termed"level 3" and at this stage laboratory testing is no longer required. Rather it demands augmented treatment for the patients with antiviral drugs.
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The experts said there is no alternative to quarantining the affected at home with regular treatment and infection control is an important priority. But the people with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), diabetes and hypertension should be treated with antiviral drugs immediately.
The experts at the BSMMU seminar however said still the people need not to be panicked.
What they need is to maintain coughing and sneezing etiquette, covering mouth while coughing and sneezing, not spitting here and there and washing hands properly.
People need to seek admission in the hospitals only when it is Severe Acute Respiratory Illness, they added.
Vice-chancellor Prof Pran Gopal Datt, former VC Prof Nazrul Islam, Prof Shahina Tabassum of the department of virology, Prof Syed Atikul Haque, Dr Mosharraf Hossain and Prof Chowdhury Ali Kawsar of BSMMU, among others, spoke at the seminar.
They also talked on the difference between seasonal flu and swine flu, its duration, drugs and the government's initiatives to check it.
The government has already taken enough preparations to contain the spread of swine flue and treat the affected that include setting up isolation
comers in all the public medical college and hospitals with trained staffs.
Training has also been provided to the health officials of 95 Urban Primary Health Care Centres.
Even eight private and autonomous hospitals have received training and antiviral drugs to manage the swine flu patients.
But most of the private hospitals except these eight are apathetic to manage the swine flu patients, if they find any.
While talking to The Daily Star, Dr Mirza Nazimuddin, consultant of the department of medicine at the Square Hospital, said: "As the government has dedicated eight private hospitals to manage swine flu patients, we prefer the known patients to seek treatment there for their betterment."
The government officials however said it is not possible to train all the health professionals of every private hospital.
"But if they approach, we'll support them by giving them orientation and supplying the antiviral drugs," said Prof Mahmudur Rahman, director of IEDCR. He added management of swine flu is very simple and a two-hour orientation programme is enough to manage the patients.