Sudden decision taken by the Health dept due to increase in Influenza cases in Chennai and TN
Posted on: 09/Sep/2022 9:48:51 AM
Many persons now in Chennai and in other parts of TN have got affected by seasonal influenza and the health department has issued guidelines now for categorisation of these cases during screening. Guidelines for home isolation, testing, treatment and hospitalization have come out from the health department now.
The health department has asked all the deputy directors of the health services to follow the guidelines without any deviations etc.
It must be taken into account that those persons with fever and cough/sore throat etc were not only symptomatic for Covid-19 infection but to seasonal influenza also and they might be tested for that. The purpose for testing was to arrive at the right diagnosis and treatment.
Information gathered is that influenza-like illness is an acute respiratory infection with sudden cough and sore throat with measured fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more with the onset within the last 10 days. The persons with seasonal influenza also showed other symptoms like muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea, running nose etc.
It is now brought out that all individuals seeking consultations for flu-like symptoms must be screened at the healthcare facilities of both government as well as private ones. These persons must be examined by a doctor and categorised into A, B and C. Guidelines for screening, testing and isolation must be followed without fail to prevent and contain the outbreaks of influenza.
Under category A, those patients with mild fever and cough or sore throat with or without body ache, diarrhoea and vomiting would be there. There is no need to test them as they don`t need Oseltamivir. These patients must be monitored for their progress and re-assessed by doctors in 24 to 48 hours.
If the patient has got High Grade fever of 102 degrees Farenheit or more (in addition to the above said symptoms) and severe sore throat with one or more of the below said high risk conditions they would be classified under the category B. These persons include 65 age and more, pregnant mothers, infants and kids aged 5 and below, those with chronic respiratory disease, those with chronic heart disease, those with kidney, liver and neurological disease, diabetes, blood disorders, those with immunosupression, extremely obese persons and those with malignancy etc.
It is noteworthy that when the testing was not needed for influenza then the persons must receive Oseltamivir along with symptomatic treatment. It must be noted that along with the signs and symptoms of A and B if the patients have one or more of these symptoms like breathlessness, altered mental status, somnolence, seizures, reduced urine output persisting or worsening of the initial symptoms beyond 72 hours they would be classified under category C.
It would also include patients with worsening chronic conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, oxygen saturation level of less than 90percent, low BP, reduced urine output etc. These persons must be tested and put under empirical antiviral therapy while their results are pending. It must be noted that in Tamil Nadu there are 30 AH1N1 approved labs.
