Two more swine flu deaths push Delhi toll to 44

NEW DELHI - Two people, including a four and a half year old boy, died of swine flu in Delhi Friday, taking the toll due to the deadly virus this year to 44, a health official said.

“The boy was admitted in Chacha Nehru Hospital and belonged to Delhi. The other, a 56-year-old patient, was from outside Delhi and was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,” Debashish Bhattacharya, Delhi government’s nodal officer for H1N1 cases, told IANS.

With this, the toll in the city since January 1 has climbed to 44, of which 16 were from Delhi and 28 were outstation patients.

Meanwhile, 28 more patients tested positive for the virus Friday, taking the total number of laboratory-confirmed swine flu cases in the city to 1,281 so far this year, Bhattacharya added.

The common symptoms of swine flu are cold, cough, fever, sore throat and headaches.

The health ministry has proposed to the states and union territories to make vaccination mandatory, if required.