oppn parties H3N2 Infections: Be Alert But No Need To Panic

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  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
oppn parties
H3N2 Infections: Be Alert But No Need To Panic

By Linus Garg
First publised on 2023-03-11 05:48:00

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.

Although just two persons have died after being infgected by the H3N2 virus in India, the Centre has rightly asked all states to be on alert. This is because H3N2 is a subtype of Influenza A virus which causes more hospitalizations than other influenza subtypes. If not controlled, it can also be fatal. Hence, despite influenza viruses are considered to be self-limiting and benign, H3N2 causes problems and needs to be monitored closely. The symptoms of H3N2 are similar to that of any other flu. Patients will suffer from cough, fever, body ache and headache, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose and extreme fatigue. They might suffer nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in rare cases. The infection lasts for five to seven days and fever may subside after three days but coughing might persist for nearly three weeks.

In India this year, persons suffering from infections "are reporting prolonged cough, persistent fever and other complications", said Dr G C Khilnani, chairman of PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine (reported in The Times of India) and this is leading to increased hospitalization. The health ministry has said that ICMR network of laboratories are closely monitoring the human influenza virus subtypes and it has been seen that nearly 79% of all cases of people infected have been found to be H3N2. This has led the Centre to put the states on alert. Apart from H3N2, Influenza B Victoria was found in 14% persons and H1N1 (also known as swine flu) was found in 7%.

Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a review meeting as the cases were rising. The advisory to the states asking them to be alert and monitor the situation closely was issued after the meeting. Although there is no reason to panic, people suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) or Influenza Like Illness (ILI) need to be monitored as they are most susceptible. Since the virus is self-limiting, it is hoped that with the onset of summer, cases will decline. But in the interim, states will have to be on guard so that H3N2 does not spread. Hospitals all over the country must also be ready any eventuality. 

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