Delhi health minister to hold meeting today as H1N1 cases rise to almost 1,800

Amid rising H1N1 (swine flu) cases in the city, Delhi health minister will hold a meeting with municipal health officers (MHO) and officials of all government hospitals on Monday to assess the situation, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

Health minister Pankaj Singh has also issued directions to chief district medical officers, district surveillance officers and hospitals on the screening, reporting, and monitoring of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) cases.

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“Technical guidelines covering patient categorisation, treatment protocols, ventilatory management, masks and home care have already been circulated. Healthcare workers are being sensitised and trained on symptoms and follow-up protocols,” said one official.

This comes after Singh attended the health review meeting chaired by Union minister for health and family welfare JP Nadda on Friday.

Nadda had stressed the need for continued vigilance, stronger surveillance and early clinical management to prevent further spread.

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Delhi records 1,777 H1N1 cases

According to official Delhi health authorities, the Capital has recorded 2,392 influenza-A cases this year. Of this, H1N1 is the predominant subtype, accounting for 1,777 cases.

Speaking to HT, Singh said, “There is a definite rise in cases and several patients are presenting with high-graded fever, but…we have not received any reports yet of patients needing ICU or ventilator cases. I can assure that there is no need to panic at all.”

He further said, “Delhi is fully prepared to deal with the present health situation. There is no shortage of beds, doctors, medicines or essential medical equipment, and every patient will receive timely and appropriate treatment.”

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The health minister also urged citizens to follow respiratory hygiene, use masks in crowded places, maintain hand hygiene, avoid close contact with people suffering from respiratory illness and consult doctors rather than self-medicate.

How this year's tally compares with previous outbreaks

According to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) data, Delhi has recorded more than 3,000 H1N1 cases in three recent outbreak years – 4,307 cases in 2015, 3,627 in 2019 and 3,151 in 2024. This year’s tally of nearly 1,777 cases remains well below those peaks.

The data also shows that larger outbreaks do not necessarily translate into higher mortality. Delhi has not recorded any H1N1 deaths since 2019, when 31 people died when caseload touched 3,627.

In contrast, the city witnessed another major outbreak in 2024 without recording any deaths.

Why are H1N1 cases rising in Delhi?

Doctors say multiple factors may be driving the rise in H1N1 infections this year.

Dr Neetu Jain, senior consultant, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at PSRI Hospital, said, “High humidity and temperatures can contribute to the spread of influenza and other viral infections”

Low uptake of the low uptake of influenza vaccination and the fact that “there have been fewer significant flu outbreaks in the last two to three years, which means many people may not have had recent exposure to influenza viruses” may be other factors contributing to the uptick in cases, Jain said.

Dr Sunil Rana, associate director and Head, Internal Medicine (Unit III), Asian Hospital, said more patients are seeking testing soon after symptoms begin rather than waiting for the illness to resolve on its own. “Swine flu and H3N2 can present with overlapping symptoms in the early days, so testing is key rather than guessing or self-medicating. We are seeing good recovery rates because patients are reaching us in time,” he said.

Dr Praveen Kumar, additional medical superintendent of the GTB hospital said, “The hospital has increased its preparedness to manage the situation. Currently, the situation is not so bad that people should panic.”

H1N1 is a subtype of the influenza-A virus that emerged during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.