New norms: Tamiflu for patients,not for those in contact

A household survey has shown that the infection has spread in the community in the city and hence it would not be advisable to give Tamiflu to people with mild symptoms. Categories of patients have been revised where Category A patients will now be those with mild fever,cold and cough. According to Nadoni,such cases do not need Tamiflu are advised home quarantine.

It is only for Category B patients — high-grade fever and severe throat infection — that Tamiflu will be given. The Category B patients also include children below five years,pregnant women and people above 65 years who are also immuno-compromised with liver disease or blood disorder. In these cases Tamiflu will be given without any tests. They will also be told to stay at home.

However,people who are in close contact with these patients will not be given preventive treatment,Dr A S Ladda,joint director of health services said. Does this mean a shortage of Tamiflu tablets? No,said Nadoni,who has supplied 7.5 lakh tablets to Maharashtra — each district is to receive a supply of 10,000 tablets in a day or two. Pune itself has got two lakh tablets.

Throat swabs will henceforth be taken only of Category ‘C’ patients who have chest pain and breathlessness and are admitted to hospitals. The main reason for not giving Tamiflu as preventive treatment is that it could also have side effects,said Nadoni.

Dr D B Kadam,head of the Department of Medicine at Sassoon Hospital and in-charge at the 15-bed ICU unit said it was important to start Tamiflu treatment for category B patients to avoid complications.

Till now in Pune 598 people have been detected progressively with HINI infection. A total of 257 positive cases have been treated and discharged. Till Monday 8 am,a total of 26 people were detected positive with the virus.