The guidelines lists do's and don'ts for doctors.

'Doctors should wash hands after checking every single patient, should immediately refer patient showing swine flu symptoms to designated government health facilities and counsel people about the flu,' said Adaho.

Randeep Guleria, head of medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said one should not forget that H1N1 is an extremely contagious virus.

'When a doctor is examining a patient who has the flu-like symptoms he wouldn't know whether he has seasonal flu or swine flu. The best is to take precaution even when one is sitting in the OPD or the emergency because it is here that such patients could come.' said Guleria.

He said the doctors and other health workers should wear masks and gloves at all times.

'They should always remember that flu-like symptoms could be influenza A (H1N1) until proved otherwise,' he said.