Sudden rise of H3N2 influenza cases in Kanpur leaves 50 hospitalized within 24 hours

Health department officials in Kanpur are on alert in view of the sudden spike in H3N2 influenza cases in the city. The virus, which has been spreading for nearly a month now, saw 50 patients being admitted at the Hallet Hospital in Kanpur within 24 hours. At the same time, several other patients have been admitted to various private hospitals in Kanpur.

Hallet Hospital, which is the biggest government hospital in Kanpur, has had to shift patients to other wards from the emergency ward in order to cope with the sudden influx of influenza patients. It must be noted that apart from Kanpur city, cases are also being reported in neighboring regions like Auraiya and hospitals are seeing patients coming in from the Kanpur Dehat region as well. Including the hospitalized, nearly 200 people have shown symptoms.

H3N2 virus is a subtype of influenza A that causes cough, breathing difficulties, high fever and other flu-like symptoms in those who contract it. Furthermore, doctors in Kanpur say that it is hard to differentiate this virus from Covid 19 as separate testing kits are required to test each of the many subtypes of influenza.

Commenting on the said spike in H3N2 influenza cases in Kanpur, Richa Giri (Head of Medicinal Department at Kanpur's Hallet Hospital) said that such cases are seen every year due to the change in weather, but the number of cases this year is rather high, with hundreds of patients reporting symptoms.