The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Thermo flash guns to replace thermometer?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 23, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Thermo flash guns to replace thermometer?

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: In the wake of A (H1N1) virus, four thermo flash guns to record temperature have been acquired while five more cases including a woman and four children, have been tested positive here on Wednesday.

According to K. Subhakar, State coordinator for A (H1N1) virus, the new gadgets being used to record temperature does the job without any contact with the patient. “All you have to do is place them about 10 cms to 15 cms away from the patient and press it to get the temperature,” he informed.

While three such guns were placed at the airport, one was being used at the hospital. On Wednesday, five blood samples were reported positive for the virus from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi.

A 27-year-old woman and her five-year-old child who travelled with her to the city on July 17 and admitted to the hospital three days later, tested positive.

More ‘positive’ cases

In another case, three children including the brother of a girl who was earlier admitted here, reported positive.

“The brother and sister had travelled from London to stay at their uncle’s place here and apart from them, two children at the home who did not travel also were found to be affected by the virus,” said Dr. Subhakar.

Proficiency testing

Meanwhile, the Chest Hospital apart from NICD has started sending these samples to the city-based Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) for proficiency testing. “We will analyse 50 samples and if 90 per cent concurrence with NICD reports is found, then IPM will be used for initial screening,” the doctor added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh