Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today in a statement said that young healthy adults are dying of H1N1 which is a matter of serious concern.
A young male from Shopian who was admitted with acute respiratory illness at SKIMS after testing positive for H1N1 died in hospital today. President DAK and H1N1 expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan said that there is a possible change in H1N1 virus as young healthy adults are dying in contrast to its known fatalities in high risk individuals. This possible drifted virus which has to be ascertained by mutational analysis has become more virulent than it was in 2009 pandemic, a spokesman of the DAK said in a statement.
The official figures of deaths due to H1N1 in the valley are an underestimate as majority of patients are not tested. Moreover there are false negative test results because of improper specimen collection, poor handling and specimens are collected when patients no longer are shedding virus.
We are seeing young healthy adults dying in hours and days in intensive care units of hospitals due to the deadly virus. In view of possible drifted virus and false negative tests clinical judgment is paramount and doctors need heightened sensitization for early and liberal use of anti-virals to save human lives. Though current vaccine is different than circulating strain but according to center for disease control vaccination could be effective against drifted strain, he added.