The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited ensures its commuters that H1N1 is usually easily curable.
Bengaluru, Nov. 22, 2018
By Saloni Arora
With the tenseness going around the city about the rise in cases of H1N1 fever, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) came up with an initiative of spreading message about H1N1 through its public address system to make its commuters aware about the disease.
“I travel from Attigupe to Cubbon Park everyday for my work through metro and I feel it’s a great initiative by BMRCL as it confirms the commuters that the disease is curable”, said by Moorthy, a regular commuter.
The boards that provide information about the upcoming trains and platform on the metro stations in the city display messages that states ‘H1N1 fever. Do not panic, It is curable.’
H1N1, which is sometimes called “swine flu” is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. It was first detected in 2009 in the United States, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” as laboratory tests claimed that many genes in the virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America.
According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information, swine influenza is seen predominantly in the United States, Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe and in various parts of India. The symptoms of swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza like chills, fever, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness, sore throat, and body pain.
Shivasakti, a police officer at the Mysuru Road metro station said that the messages displayed on the boards not only helps the commuters to know that the disease is curable, but also plays a role in cautioning other unaware passengers.
Rashika Ramesh, another commuter, commented that although the initiative is commendable, it could have been a larger initiative: as even the local buses (BMTC) in the city could have these messages running on their boards.
Since metro currently runs on only two lines and the bus routes are spread all over the city, it could be a good idea for the buses to have H1N1 messages.
An official, at BMRCL said, “It is an initiative taken by BMRCL that will help the commuters understand the disease and will ensure them that the disease is curable.
Dr. Mahesh, from S.B. Clinic believes that the initiative should have been spread over a large scale. The notification on preventive methods like having juice regularly could have also helped the commuters in some way.
