Delhi doctors advise children with flu symptoms to stay home amid H1N1 rise

Children with a cough or cold should stay out of school and away from group settings while symptomatic, said Dr Dhiren Gupta, senior paediatrician and co-director of paediatric pulmonology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Delhi has recorded 1,777 H1N1 cases this season. Gupta said children under five were experiencing more severe symptoms during the current influenza wave, with high fever particularly affecting children below two.

Children who stop eating or drinking and develop temperatures of 103°F or 104°F need particular attention, especially if they have underlying health conditions, Gupta said.

Dr Inder Mohan Chugh, vice-chairman and head of pulmonology at Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital in Model Town, said older adults, pregnant women, people with weakened immunity, and those with diabetes or heart, kidney, liver or respiratory disease face a higher risk of complications, including pneumonia.

Gupta said high fever of 103°F to 104°F along with significant body ache may help distinguish influenza from some other viral infections. Most influenza cases resolve in seven to 10 days, Chugh said, though doctors may advise antiviral treatment early for some higher-risk patients. Antibiotics do not treat viral influenza, he added.

Chugh advised annual flu vaccination, hand hygiene, masks when needed and avoiding crowded places while symptomatic.