Tamil Nadu Health Minister, Ma Subramanian on Wednesday announced that there will not be any holidays for students up to Class 9 in the state due to the H3N2 scare

Talking to reporters after neighbouring Puducherry declared a holiday for students upto Class 8 due to the increase in H3N2 cases, he said that the incidence of H3N2 cases was not high in Tamil Nadu and rumours must not be spread.

H3N2 virus is a subtype of the influenza A virus that causes respiratory illness in humans. It is also known as the "Hong Kong flu" because it was first identified in Hong Kong in 1968. H3N2 is a highly infectious virus that is transmitted through the air by coughing or sneezing, or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.

Symptoms of H3N2 virus infection include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue. In some cases, the infection can lead to more severe illness, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, especially in older adults, young children, and people with weakened immune systems.

He said that people with fever and influenza must isolate themselves and asked people to wear masks and to keep a safe distance from others.

The minister also called upon the people to maintain Covid protocol in the state and said that rumours should not be spread about the incidence of the viral fever.

The Tamil Nadu State Public Health Department has also asked people to wear masks and to keep safe distances. The Health Department has also directed the district administrations to closely monitor the increasing cases of fever in their respective districts and to keep a tab on it.