Banglore - Based Anil Kumar came back from Zurich to realise that he was unwell and suffering from a viral infection. Having undergone basic tests at the Bangalore International Airport,Kumar was diagnosed negative for swine flu. But after a couple of days,the fever returned and Kumar voluntarily went to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases,Bangalore. Though he tested negative again,it was the long queues,lack of information on swine flu and the confusion over the symptoms that inspired Kumar and two of his friends Ashish Sharma and Shashi Shekhar Singh come together and create a website,www.swinefluindia.com. After extensively searching the Internet,Anil and I could not find any website or any other source of information on how to get tested or whom to contact regarding the H1N1 virus. The duty doctors at Bangalore airport advised us to report to the hospital next morning. Though he tested negative,we decided to bridge this information gap and present a clearer picture to anyone looking for city-specific information on the H1N1 virus testing and quarantine procedures. After a few late night sessions,swinefluindia.com was born, said Singh. The first result of the Google search on swine flu,the website,functional from July 10,witnessed an increase of 2,262 per cent on the day swine flu claimed its first victim. The website recorded 15,000 clicks on August 10. We all know that swine flu is curable if diagnosed early. What keeps the patients away from approaching the authorised centres is the fact that they are unsure about the symptoms due to lack of information, said Kumar. From basic preventive measures,such as how to wash hands,wearing masks and from symptoms to the contact numbers of authorised government centres from various cities,including Pune,New Delhi,Mumbai,Chennai,Bangalore,Hyderabad and Kolkata for swine flu treatment,the website sets a guideline for A-to-Z information on the pandemic. Besides,the H1N1 virus is a global threat and the website gives detailed information about the precautions one needs to take while flying or returning from abroad. It also focuses on the procedures followed in various countries and the costs and period involved in the treatments, Sharma added. With valuable information along with three audio messages from the WHO,Ministry of Health and Family Welfare swine Flu website and CDC website,swinefluindia.com also features FAQs,such as,Should one take antiviral in case he or she contracts the new virus? Pregnancy and swine flu: when should someone seek medical care? and so on. We are updating the website every day. While I take care of the content,the other two members manage the technical aspects, said Kumar,adding that there are no monetary interests involved. We have also started involving Twitter and Facebook for creating awareness and reaching out to larger masses. A daily blog for helping those who are seeking information is also posted every day, he said.
