Latest news with #H3N2
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
2 years on, new ICU at Chandigarh's GMCH remains non-functional due to staff shortage
1 2 Chandigarh: A newly constructed intensive care unit (ICU) at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chandigarh has remained non-functional for over two years since its completion, raising concerns about critical care capacity in the region. The facility, intended to bolster the hospital's intensive care capabilities significantly, was only recently utilised as an isolation ward, admitting an H3N2 patient this week. The GMCH administration attributed the prolonged delay in making the ICU operational to a severe shortage of essential ancillary staff and nurses. While the sophisticated equipment procured for the new unit was reportedly repurposed and distributed among other existing ICUs within the hospital, the critical lack of human resources prevented the dedicated unit from becoming fully functional as an ICU. Prof GP Thami, medical superintendent, GMCH, acknowledged the staffing challenge. "We have a shortage of nursing staff, and the recruitment shall start once Panjab University conducts the entrance examination," he said. Sources within the hospital indicate that the four-bedded ICU was initially designated for the newly established cardiothoracic surgery department. However, its operation ceased shortly after a senior doctor from that department departed. Prof Sanjeev Palta, head of the anaesthesiology department, elaborated on the severity of the staffing crisis: "We have a deficit of 400 nursing staff, and according to ICU norms, eight nursing staff are required per day, shift-wise, excluding other ancillary staff, which is also deficient. " The non-operational status of such a critical unit comes at a time when hospitals across the region are already struggling with high demand for ICU beds, often resulting in long waiting lists for patients in need of intensive care. A staff member voiced frustration, questioning the planning: "When the ICU was made, why were the posts not filled simultaneously? How could the proposal of the ICU be accepted in the absence of sufficient staff?" The cost of establishing an ICU runs into crores, with daily operational costs in private hospitals reaching lakhs, underscoring the significant investment lying dormant.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Get paid $3,425 to get the flu at SLU clinical trial
ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis University wants to pay you to catch the flu. The university's Center for Vaccine Development is recruiting people for a study into pre-existing flu immunity in healthy adults. 'By the time we are adults, we have been infected with the flu many times,' said Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D., director of SLU's Vaccine Center and principal investigator of the study. 'While we have learned a lot about how the flu infects people, it is hard to know exactly when someone is exposed to the flu, and what happens early on after they are exposed to the flu but before they become sick.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The vaccine center will recruit 12 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 who have not received a vaccine within 30 days prior to enrolling in the study. Participants will be infected with influenza A H3N2 virus via a nasal spray and stay at the university's Extended Stay Research Unit for at least 10 days. Researchers will test the participants' antibodies both before and after receiving the nasal spray to see how their immune systems respond. The subjects cannot leave until discharged and visitors will not be permitted. Participants must live within 60 miles of St. Louis. 'Flu 'challenge' studies, where we give a strain of the flu virus to a participant, allow us to follow people closely before and after infection. We learn about the flu virus and the body's reaction to it,' Holt said. 'This study may help us to design better flu vaccines or better drugs to treat the flu.' Participants will be compensated for their time and receive up to $3,425 for all study visits and phone calls. Anyone interested in participating in the clinical trial should contact the SLU Center for Vaccine Development at 314-977-6333 or by email at vaccine@ The clinical trial is funded by Saint Louis University's Stephen C. Peiper and Zi-Xuan Wang Institute for Vaccine Science and Policy. The institute was launched in 2020 following a significant financial investment from the couple. Peiper is a graduate of the SLU School of Medicine (Class of 1977). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Beat the flu before it beats you: handwashing is your first line of defence
The beauty of hand hygiene lies in its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. As the winter chill settles across South Africa, so too does the annual rise in sniffles, sneezes, and serious illnesses like influenza and respiratory infections. But this year, the flu season arrived earlier than expected, catching many families and workplaces off guard. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the 2025 flu season began in late March, the earliest onset since 2010. If you thought you had more time to prepare, you're not alone. Data from the NICD's pneumonia surveillance programme highlights that influenza A(H3N2) is the dominant strain this year, accounting for nearly 70% of laboratory-confirmed cases. This is more than just a statistic; it's a wake-up call for South Africans to double down on prevention, especially when it comes to one of the simplest, yet most effective, barriers against infection: handwashing. Why is handwashing so important during flu season? The science is clear: respiratory viruses like colds and the flu spread easily through droplets when we cough, sneeze, or even talk. Touching contaminated surfaces and then touching our faces, something we all do countless times a day, makes us vulnerable. That's why the World Health Organisation (WHO) continues to emphasise that proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection, both in hospitals and in our everyday spaces. But why does hand hygiene matter so much, especially now? Protecting the vulnerable Not everyone has the same level of immunity. Elderly people, young children, and those living with chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes, or HIV are at higher risk of severe flu complications. Your commitment to handwashing protects not just yourself, but also your loved ones and the broader community.
West Australian
10-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Australia records unseasonal flu surge, health experts alarmed
Australia is facing a sharp and early surge in influenza, with more than 63,000 cases already recorded and flu-related deaths rising at their fastest pace in years. New data shows a 65.7 per cent jump in influenza deaths in 2024 compared to the previous year, with elevated numbers continuing into early 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). There were 16 influenza-deaths recorded in January this year alone, and almost 10 times that in Covid-related deaths. ABS figures show that both January and February this year recorded more flu deaths than the same period in most previous years, sparking fears of an early and potentially severe influenza season. The trend has raised alarm among health experts, including director of the World Health Organisation's Melbourne-based Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza Patrick Reading. Professor Reading said lab-confirmed cases of the flu had soared across the country since the start of the year. 'What we've got here are curves for different seasons … through January, February, March, and April, we've actually been tracking at increased numbers, thousands of increased numbers of lab-confirmed influenza in Australia,' Professor Reading said. 'You can see this kind of increasing trend in most of the jurisdictions since January, with a steady increase being observed.' Traditionally, flu activity in Australia peaks during the winter months. However, this year's early onset more closely resembles patterns seen in the Northern Hemisphere, including Japan, the UK, and China. 'Coming into the start of this year, so the summer in Australia, coming into autumn, we've actually got increased levels of influenza activity in Australia, which sort of correlates with increased activity in the Northern Hemisphere as well.' Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for most seasonal flu outbreaks, but each year sees a different mix of subtypes, making the virus difficult to predict and control. This year's influenza vaccines have been updated to better target current strains, particularly the H3N2 subtype. 'The H3N2 component is kind of the problem child of the influenza vaccines,' Professor Reading said. 'It's the one that needs updating the most to keep up with the mutations that occur in the virus as it circulates around the world.' He also warned that influenza won't be the only virus circulating this winter. COVID-19, RSV, norovirus, and strains of avian influenza such as H5N1 are also being closely monitored. 'In 2024, we had the first human case of H5N1 was recorded in Australia from a return traveller from India,' he said. 'That virus was detected and characterised here at our collaborating centre.' While the avian influenza strain has raised international concern, including a significant outbreak in U.S. dairy herds, there is currently no indication of it spreading between humans. 'The virus is secreted into the milk,' Professor Reading said. 'At the moment, there have been 70 recorded human cases in the US. One death, but no evidence of person-to-person spread, which is really important.' Professor Reading stressed the importance of vaccination, which he said is the 'best way' to reduce the likelihood of hospitalisation and GP visits associated with influenza infections. Professor Julie Leask, a social scientist with the University of Sydney's Infectious Diseases Institute, said Australia's flu vaccination rates remain troublingly low. 'Our influenza vaccination rates in Australia are dire and they're not improving,' Professor Leask. She noted that many serious outcomes could be avoided with better uptake of the vaccine. 'The vaccine isn't perfect, but it's much better than zero, which is what you're looking at if you don't have a vaccine.' According to new research from the 2025 National Vaccination Insights Project, which surveyed over 2000 adults in March, nearly one-third of Australians haven't had a flu shot in the past two years. Infectious diseases physician Dr Paul Griffin said the flu continues to take a heavy toll each year. 'We know that there's deaths in the order of thousands, hospitalisations around 20,000 every year,' Dr Griffin said. 'It's not just a flu, it's a very severe viral infection in its own right and can be life threatening.' In Australia, the National Immunisation Program provides free flu shots to several groups, including young children, pregnant women, adults 65 and older, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and individuals with certain medical conditions.
Perth Now
10-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Aussies warned of surge in deadly flu season
Australia is facing a sharp and early surge in influenza, with more than 63,000 cases already recorded and flu-related deaths rising at their fastest pace in years. New data shows a 65.7 per cent jump in influenza deaths in 2024 compared to the previous year, with elevated numbers continuing into early 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). There were 16 influenza-deaths recorded in January this year alone, and almost 10 times that in Covid-related deaths. ABS figures show that both January and February this year recorded more flu deaths than the same period in most previous years, sparking fears of an early and potentially severe influenza season. Flu deaths have spiked across Australia in 2025, well above the five-year average, prompting warnings from health leaders about low vaccination rates. NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett Credit: News Corp Australia The trend has raised alarm among health experts, including director of the World Health Organisation's Melbourne-based Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza Patrick Reading. Professor Reading said lab-confirmed cases of the flu had soared across the country since the start of the year. 'What we've got here are curves for different seasons … through January, February, March, and April, we've actually been tracking at increased numbers, thousands of increased numbers of lab-confirmed influenza in Australia,' Professor Reading said. 'You can see this kind of increasing trend in most of the jurisdictions since January, with a steady increase being observed.' Traditionally, flu activity in Australia peaks during the winter months. However, this year's early onset more closely resembles patterns seen in the Northern Hemisphere, including Japan, the UK, and China. 'Coming into the start of this year, so the summer in Australia, coming into autumn, we've actually got increased levels of influenza activity in Australia, which sort of correlates with increased activity in the Northern Hemisphere as well.' Professor Patrick Reading. Credit: Supplied Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for most seasonal flu outbreaks, but each year sees a different mix of subtypes, making the virus difficult to predict and control. This year's influenza vaccines have been updated to better target current strains, particularly the H3N2 subtype. 'The H3N2 component is kind of the problem child of the influenza vaccines,' Professor Reading said. 'It's the one that needs updating the most to keep up with the mutations that occur in the virus as it circulates around the world.' He also warned that influenza won't be the only virus circulating this winter. COVID-19, RSV, norovirus, and strains of avian influenza such as H5N1 are also being closely monitored. 'In 2024, we had the first human case of H5N1 was recorded in Australia from a return traveller from India,' he said. 'That virus was detected and characterised here at our collaborating centre.' Australia is experiencing an unusually early spike in influenza, with over 63,000 cases and some of the highest January-February death rates in recent years, according to new data. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia While the avian influenza strain has raised international concern, including a significant outbreak in U.S. dairy herds, there is currently no indication of it spreading between humans. 'The virus is secreted into the milk,' Professor Reading said. 'At the moment, there have been 70 recorded human cases in the US. One death, but no evidence of person-to-person spread, which is really important.' Professor Reading stressed the importance of vaccination, which he said is the 'best way' to reduce the likelihood of hospitalisation and GP visits associated with influenza infections. Professor Julie Leask, a social scientist with the University of Sydney's Infectious Diseases Institute, said Australia's flu vaccination rates remain troublingly low. 'Our influenza vaccination rates in Australia are dire and they're not improving,' Professor Leask. In January 2025 alone, there were 16 influenza-related deaths and 159 COVID-19-related deaths in Australia. NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett Credit: News Corp Australia She noted that many serious outcomes could be avoided with better uptake of the vaccine. 'The vaccine isn't perfect, but it's much better than zero, which is what you're looking at if you don't have a vaccine.' According to new research from the 2025 National Vaccination Insights Project, which surveyed over 2000 adults in March, nearly one-third of Australians haven't had a flu shot in the past two years. Infectious diseases physician Dr Paul Griffin said the flu continues to take a heavy toll each year. 'We know that there's deaths in the order of thousands, hospitalisations around 20,000 every year,' Dr Griffin said. 'It's not just a flu, it's a very severe viral infection in its own right and can be life threatening.' In Australia, the National Immunisation Program provides free flu shots to several groups, including young children, pregnant women, adults 65 and older, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and individuals with certain medical conditions.
