Lucknow, Aug 24 - Even as detection of two fresh swine flu cases Monday in Uttar Pradesh pushed the count to 53, the scare of the otherwise dreaded virus appears to be on the wane in the country's most populous state.
Both cases were reoported in Lucknow. However, the virus has been contained in each of the cases so far.
Meanwhile, the rush for throat swab tests or for masks in the market has gone down considerably. Doctors too appear to have realized that there was no need to refer every case of cold, cough and fever for a H1N1 test.
'Earlier, there was so much panic that even doctors would just refer every patient with the slightest of fever, cold and cough for a throat swab test. But since we started a screening process and returned many such cases, the inflow of references has reduced,' Lucknow chief medical officer A.K. Shukla told IANS.
'In fact, now the union ministry of health has also issued a circular with clear-cut instructions as to what type of symptoms should necessitate a throat swab test,' he said.