Odisha asks districts to keep surveillance on ILI, SARI as H3N2 cases detected
Bhubaneswar (PTI): With 59 cases of H3N2 detected in Odisha, the state government has asked the district authorities to intensify ILI and SARI surveillance and suggested citizens to maintain personal hygiene and avoid crowded places, a top official said.
Health and Family Welfare secretary Shalini Pandit told district collectors and concerned health officials to be step up ILI (influenza-like illness) and SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection) surveillance at health facility level and community level.
Most of the illnesses are mild and self limiting and the state government has stressed on handwashing, personal hygiene and avoiding crowded places. These are the key measures to be followed like during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pandit said.
District Integrated Disease Surveillance Project units are in readiness and constantly monitoring the situation, the official said adding that labs are kept in readiness to handle any surge in cases.
H1N1 and H3N2 are subtypes of Influenza A virus. It is a common flu virus found in children and the elderly from December to March, the department said in a statement. The government maintained that influenza virus is a common seasonal virus which caused fever, cough and running nose. In persons with comorbidity or are elderly it may give rise to respiratory complications, it said.
"Ninety of the persons recover by themselves as this viral illness is self limiting in nature. The rest ten per cent of the cases having ILI and SARI symptoms may develop breathing difficulties, persistent cough and need medicines," Pandit said.
Most of the cases are, however, mild and self limiting. But masks must be used by immunocompromised and persons suffering from flu-like symptoms, she said.
The state's 30 drug public health laboratories (DPHL) are continuously monitoring the trend of ILI and SARI cases by testing samples regularly in 23 RTPCR labs and DPHLs for detection of Covid cases, the health secretary said.
The 30 DPHLs are doing H1N1 testing on regular basis. Each of them have the requisite infrastructure and lab logistics to conduct the required tests should a surge in cases is seen in the near future, the department sources said.
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Cong cites Kangana's purported remarks to accuse BJP of wanting to bring back repealed farm laws
New Delhi, Sep 24: The Congress on Tuesday cited BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's purported remarks on farm laws to allege that the ruling party was making efforts to bring back the three laws that were repealed in 2021, and asserted that Haryana will give a befitting reply to it.
The Congress shared on X an undated video of Ranaut in which she is purportedly saying in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers."
In a post in Hindi along with the video, the Congress said, "The three black laws imposed on farmers should be brought back: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has said this. More than 750 farmers of the country were martyred, only then did the Modi government wake up and these black laws were withdrawn."
Now BJP MPs are planning to bring back these laws, the Congress alleged.
"The Congress is with the farmers. These black laws will never return, no matter how hard Narendra Modi and his MPs try," the opposition party said on X.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared the video of Ranaut on X and said, "'All three farm laws should be brought back': BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. More than 750 farmers were martyred while protesting against the three black farmer laws. Efforts are being made to bring them back."
"We will never let that happen. Haryana will answer first," she said in an apparent reference to the assembly polls in Haryana.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared the video on X and said it was the BJP's "real thinking".
"How many times will you deceive the farmers, you two-faced people?" Khera said in a post in Hindi.
The three laws -- Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- were repealed in November 2021.
The farmers' protest started at the fag-end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The legislations came into force in June 2020 and were repealed in November 2021.
“तीनों किसान क़ानून वापस लाये जाने चाहिए” : BJP MP कंगना रनौत
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 24, 2024
जिन तीन काले किसान विरोधी क़ानूनों की मुख़ालिफ़त करते 750 से ज़्यादा किसान शहीद हो गए
उनको दोबारा से लाने की कोशिश की जा रही है. हम ऐसा कभी नहीं होने देंगे
सबसे पहला जवाब हरियाणा देगा pic.twitter.com/kRAkRuE2cc
