Swine Flu in India: Don't panic

I have been following the news about outbreak of swine flu in India. The media reporting and government handling of the issue till the moment is disappointing. There seems to be panic about the swine flu in all around India especially in Pune. I have been living in US since the Swine flu was started spreading and haven’t seen kind of panic, which is there in back home. Government and media needs to be more sensible and should do more to make people aware about the flu's symptoms, information about testing and testing centers across the country, protection and cure of the disease than spreading panic.
Government was good in checking this disease so long because of the precautions taken on airport and other port of entries. But now when swine flu has spread in Indian cities and in a country of 12 billion populations, where contagious disease like swine flu may spread in millions of people, Government needs better planning and coordination with all states. As Health is the state matter and center govt. can issue advisory to states, Center Government needs to take all steps to insure proper implementation of the swine flu advisory by all state government.
Closing down schools, colleges and malls is not a long term solution to the problem. This outbreak is not going to stop in few days. Government needs to make people aware. People who are suffering from any kind of influenza ,should avoid social contacts. People are getting into queue for testing of swine flu that is the result of panic. People should avoid test if they have simple flu, sneezing or fever until they have 4-5 symptoms of swine flu. In US around 45000 had been affected and cured. 300 people died, most of them in the initial stage of the swine flu, when the information was not available. India has the advantage of more information available about this epidemic than any other country but result of the more information seems to be an over-reaction.
Media is playing kind of negative role. Instead of making people more aware, they are running attention seeking breaking news, which is causing more panic. They need to run good information which can really help people like help line numbers and precautions, care.
What I want to highlight here that actually the secondary diseases are causing death with swine flu. Swine flu may impact mild or severe and a person with weak immune system can have the multiple problems from which he is already suffering ,then swine flu can be fatal. Special care needs to be taken for children and elderly people and people with major medical history.
Everybody should try to be healthy and should take healthy diet, more fluids. They should use sanitizers every hour. I think mask is only needed for person with illness or person who is in contact with flu affected person.

Finally I want to add that Swine flu is not the only danger in India as for as medical and health problems are concerned. There are many more diseases dangerous than this. It is the panic which is causing fear among every of us. It is a contagious disease but can be curable in most of the times. We should stress more on making ourself aware about it,checking it and not spreading it than fearing about it.

Here is the information for the H1N1 flu which can be useful for everybody about swine flu. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ )

Symptoms:
The symptoms of H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with H1N1 flu virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.

If you are sick:
If you are sick, you may be ill for a week or longer. You should stay home and keep away from others as much as possible, including avoiding travel and not going to work or school, for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.) If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, and cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. In general, you should avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness, especially people at increased risk of severe illness from influenza.
If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications (for younger, elder or person with medical problems), you should contact doctor or hospital to get tested and treated for the swine flu.

Emergency Warning Signs
If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Community

Indo-Pak Joint Statement

Indo-Pak joint statement has become the main point of discussion in Indian media last week. Though, main opposition party is still walking out of the parliament on this issue, our leaders actually spent lesser time discussing this issue than debating "the ban on some TV shows".

Talking to Pakistan on all issues including Kashmir is welcome step and we Indian always support that but from my point of view, one of the major disappointment of this joint statement is timing. We are still to see any concrete steps taken by Pakistan government for punishing all the accused of 26/11.

Not only is the timing wrong, the government agreed to exclude the terrorism from the bilateral talks. Indian Foreign policy is always of consensus whether the govt is of Congress, BJP, Left or any other party.This is the first time when government has to see opposition from other parties for foreign policy. I remember Agra Summit failed in 2001 because of India's persistence on the clause that Pakistan will not use its land against India for any terrorism. Pakistan got the diplomatic victory in this joint statement when they agreed India to give intelligence support on the Baluchistan unrest (which is their internal problem).This definitely show that India has some thing to do with it.

There is no problem in the Indian intentions as those were in last 50 years but Pakistan has the history of the most untrustworthy towards India. India has got severe pain in Kargil war and one of the reason for Kargil was trusting Pakistan when India started Bus Yatra in March that year.

India have one more problem with Pakistan, they do not have reliable establishment which can really talk and change the ground reality. They are going towards becoming a failed state and no democratic government has lasted long there. They have parliament, President, Army and ISI.Government is talking to Prime minister and President of Pakistan, they may need to start it again if Army take over the country in next 6 months.

India has released the diplomatic pressure after signing this statement which it put on the Pakistan after 26/11 attack through diplomatic channels and international community. One recent example of Pakistan back stepping is release of Hafiz Saeed, who is the main accused of 26/11 in spite of Indian Home minister’s reiterate that India had handed over enough proof against him.

India really does have a little value addition in talking to Pakistan in terms of export or commerce related issue but I support talking to them in terms of getting them in to main stream in terms of relations between two countries instead of making Anti-India rhetoric.

Before getting with them on board, we need to see them punishing the persons involved in 26/11 and taking some concrete steps in dismantling the terror camps in the Punjab and Kashmir. After Prime Minister’s statement in parliament “ India has not diluted its stand”, I hope Indian government will not resume talk to Pakistan in spite of the signing the joint declaration at least at highest level until India would achieve something from Pakistan in war against terrorism.