Three Chandigarh schools close due to swine flu threat

CHANDIGARH - Three private schools in Chandigarh were closed Tuesday and will stay closed for the rest of the week, following a teenage girl’s death due to swine flu, officials said Tuesday.

Seventeen-year-old Pallavi Kwatra, a class 10 student of Moti Ram Arya School in Panchkula, died at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here Monday.

The patient was brought to PGIMER and had breathing problems and very high fever. We immediately sent her nasal and throat swab samples for tests and she tested positive. However, she died before we got her reports, H.C. Gera, nodal swine flu officer, said.

Earlier she was taken to a private hospital but seeing her serious condition, doctors there referred her to PGIMER. We have informed the health officials of Panchkula so that they can examine the people who came in close contact with the deceased girl, said Gera.

A few days ago, Kwatra went on a school trip with around 100 students from her school. Her condition deteriorated during the trip and she even fainted, school officials said.

Uma Kapadia, principal of Moti Ram Arya School, said that the school would remain closed for at least a week.

We are following the guidelines of health officials and as per precautionary measures we have announced closure of the school, said Kapadia.

In the meantime, Panchkula health officials have quarantined 11 people, including Kwatra’s family members and her two school friends in their home.

In addition two private schools of Chandigarh — DAV Public School in Sector 8 and in Sector 39 — have been closed after two more positive swine flu cases were detected Monday.

So far four students of DAV Public School, Sector 8, have tested positive for swine flu.

Kwatra was the fourth swine flu victim in the region.

Till date over 450 suspected cases have been reported in Chandigarh, out of which 67 tested positive.