Gorakhpur man first to die of swine flu in Uttar Pradesh this year

LUCKNOW: A 41-year-old man has died of swine flu in Uttar Pradesh — the first death from the deadly H1N1 virus in the state this year. The patient from Gorakhpur died while undergoing treatment in Lucknow on January 24, but the death was confirmed seven days later on Friday.
Ironically, the patient’s report for H1N1 confirmation came on the day he died while undergoing treatment for bilateral pneumonia at a private medical facility in Lucknow.
The death was confirmed by the swine flu control unit in Lucknow district. “We have sent a letter to Gorakhpur health department to register the death in their records as swine flu death of that district,” said in-charge, swine flu control unit, Lucknow district, Dr Manoj Yadav.
However, joint director communicable diseases Dr Vikas Singhal said, they were yet to receive a death audit of the patient.
“There has been no swine flu death so far and we are yet to receive an audit of the Gorakhpur patient. If that is true, this will be UP’s first swine flu death this year,” Dr Singhal said. The patient was admitted at a private hospital in Gorakhpur on January 16 after he complained of fever and breathing problems. As his condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to KGMU, but he was put on ventilator at a private hospital in Mahanagar area on January 22.
Director of the private hospital, Dr BP Singh told TOI, “Patient came to us with bilateral pneumonia— an infection of both lungs. His condition was critical since the tiny air sacs in lungs were filled with fluid and puss. We tried to stabilize him, but his condition kept deteriorating.”
“Simultaneously, we also sent the patient’s blood samples to PGI’s lab for swine flu testing. As per the report received on January 22, he tested H1N1 positive,” he added.
Meanwhile, a second positive case of swine flu was reported in Lucknow on Friday. The patient is a seven-year-old girl from Daliganj area of Lucknow. The girl had visited the KGMU OPD following flu-like symptoms on Thursday and was detected with swine flu. A pregnant woman had also tested positive to the deadly virus in the city last month.