Varanasi, Aug. 29 -- The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Varanasi, Dr NP Singh, has issued necessary guidelines to health department officials to prevent swine flu (Influenza-A/H1N1) and to raise public awareness about the disease.

He has directed them to reserve the required number of beds at district-level hospitals as well as all community health centres and to ensure the availability of essential medicines used in the treatment of swine flu.

The CMO stated that swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease. It can spread through contact with respiratory droplets emitted by an infected person coughing, sneezing, or speaking. Therefore, timely identification of symptoms and appropriate treatment are crucial.

These are the main symptom...