'It is natural, people are worried about their health. People should be clearly told how they should handle the situation and should be given the right information. People need to be given assurance they would get prompt treatment,' Parikh told IANS.

Monica Chib, consultant psychologist at the Indraprastha Apollo hospital, is also seeing a number of panic-struck people who imagine they have the flu following the death of 14-year-old Reeda Shaikh.

'Actually the swine flu death in Pune has created a fear and people are naturally worried, which was not so earlier. Such kind of reaction is expected,' she added.

There is no reason for panic, say doctors.

'In India, the number of swine flu cases are few, compared to the West. The problem is that swine flu symptoms are the same as seasonal flu,' said Randeep Guleria, head of medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

He said doctors need to look out for danger signs -- normal fever persisting for more than five days, breathing difficulty, cough with sputum and blood, chest pain, drowsiness, low blood pressure and nails turning blue.

But for some any flu must be swine flu.

Anjali Baruah, who works in the capital, said her parents back home in Assam are paranoid and making her nervy too.

'My father called me last night and read out a whole newspaper clipping on measures to be taken against getting swine flu. A little later, he called me again to tell me to carry a handkerchief and cover my nose and mouth while travelling in public transport.

'At the slightest indication of a cold, he asked me to go to a government hospital and get myself tested -- and not to forget to carry my own disposable syringe!. He has become so paranoid and is making me too.'