New Delhi, August 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed the city’s H1N1 situation on Tuesday, with Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh assuring residents that influenza cases remained under control and urging people not to panic.
Speaking to reporters after a briefing on H1N1 cases, Singh said the Delhi government was closely monitoring the situation and that hospitals, doctors and medical staff were prepared to deal with patients.
“There is no shortage or crisis anywhere, and there is absolutely no reason to panic,” the Health Minister said.
He also warned that action would be taken against health institutions if patients were turned away on the grounds that isolation wards did not have sufficient beds.
Delhi has recorded more than 2,300 Influenza A cases this year, including 1,777 H1N1 cases recorded till Friday.
Education Minister Ashish Sood said schools had been advised to remain alert in view of the influenza situation. The Education Department has also issued a circular to schools on the matter.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Rajiv Bahl described H1N1 as a seasonal flu and said many cases commonly presenting as cough and cold are caused by respiratory viruses. At present, a significant proportion of such cases are being attributed to H1N1, a subtype of Influenza A.
Bahl said most cases were mild and self-limiting, and there was no need for widespread concern or for everyone with cough or cold symptoms to undergo testing. Testing, he said, was useful when the result could influence treatment decisions.
People experiencing symptoms such as cough, cold, sore throat, fever or body aches were advised to avoid unnecessary contact with others during the first two or three days, get adequate rest and maintain distance when meeting people.
An official said health authorities were testing for a panel of common respiratory viruses. For Influenza A, testing can identify subtypes including H1N1, H3N2, H5N1 and H6N2. Testing also covers SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus and adenoviruses, among others.
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