Reports of two swine flu cases a typing error, clarifies Coimbatore corporation

The reports of two cases of swine flu in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore were a typing error, and the patients only tested positive for common flu, chief health officer of Coimbatore Corporation Dr Satish Kumar confirmed on Tuesday.

“They have only tested positive for influenza A and negative for H1N1, it was a typing error,” said Kumar.

Currently, only a 44-year-old man has tested positive for swine flu and is undergoing treatment at PSG Hospitals in Coimbatore. “But he is a native of Tiruppur,” an official in Coimbatore said. “All his contacts have been traced, their samples have been tested and we have given them a prophylactic Tamiflu.”

The man had tested positive on November 12 and is stable. “We are keeping a strict vigil. So far there is only one confirmed case of swine flu.”

As per reports earlier and local news, two patients were undergoing treatment at a private hospital for swine flu. However, after a team from the corporation visited the hospital, and checked all the records in the microbiology lab, they found that an error has been made and the lab reports showed negative for H1N1. The administration offered clarification and released a statement. A copy of the lab reports has been seen by HT. The report was passed on to another department, which made the typing error, officials said.

The district administration has issued an advisory to the people to keep their premises and surroundings clean and to keep off infections due to the monsoon season in the state.