Panic more viral than flu in cty

CHENNAI: Though there hasn’t been a steep rise in the number of swine flu cases reported here, all the talk over the H1N1 virus has certainly urged anxious patients with regular flu to seek a hospital’s help to rule out the possibility of H1N1. According to some private practitioners in Kodungaiyur, Korukkupet, MKB Nagar and Vyasarpadi, the number of women bringing in children with a regular cold and mild fever has almost doubled. The panic seems to have benefitted private clinics, as practitioners recorded a spike in flu walk-ins. However, government hospitals have not seen much of an increase in flu patients.