C
ollege
is hectic for Ashna these days. She has to make up for classes she missed while recovering from swine flu.
Last month, back from a holiday in Malaysia, Ashna, her mother and sister were diagnosed with symptoms of H1N1 influenza.
There were some tense moments initially though now all of them have fully recovered.
"Of course the fear was there. After all one was reading about it in papers and it was all over. But while the reports tell you how many have been infected, they never tell you how many have been cured as well. So don't panic. Because it's totally curable," says Ashna Lahoty.
At a time when swine flu is quite the dreaded word, Ashna's friends have been a great source of support. Students of clinical psychology at an institute in Noida, some of them say that it even made them question the manner in which treatment was being handled.
"The worst thing is that sometimes people become hypochondriacs. Even if there is some flu, they start imagining the worst. So we feel counselling is very very important because they need to know about the disease, what causes it and how it is cured," observes Mehezabeen, Ashna's friend.
Spreading information holds the key. As the World Health Organisation and health authorities battle the swine flu pandemic, what could make the difference is awareness and preparedness. So don't panic, but be prepared.
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