Swine flu death toll reaches 36 in Punjab, 22 in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: With one more person succumbing to swine flu, the death toll due to deadly H1N1 virus has climbed to 36 in Punjab this year while 22 lives have been lost in neighbouring Haryana so far.

"A 58-year-old doctor who ran his private clinic in Ludhiana died due to swine flu. With his death, 36 persons have so far succumbed to the disease in Punjab while 152 patients have tested positive," Deepak Bhatia, State Surveillance Officer of Punjab Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, said today.

In neighbouring Haryana, with two more persons succumbing to swine flu during the past two days, the toll has now reached 22 this year while the number of positive cases stands at 148.

As part of Centre's guidelines to states issued to combat the H1N1 virus, health workers have been asked to screen people with symptoms of the flu on the basis of their severity and categorise them.

Bhatia said that the people have been advised to avoid crowded places, not to sneeze or spit without the use of tissue paper or handkerchief and adopt practices of frequent hand washing with soap and water.