Flu season in India doesn't follow the calendar the way it does in the West — cases are spiking right now in Delhi, Bengaluru and beyond, even as Tamil Nadu's H1N1 wave was reported to have peaked between March and August. In this episode, host Pushpa Narayan, senior editor (health) with TOI, speaks with Dr V Ramasubramaniam, infectious diseases expert with Apollo Hospitals, about why India sees flu round the year and how to tell it apart from other respiratory illnesses. Dr Ramasubramaniam explains why monsoon timing — not winter — drives flu surges across different Indian states, breaks down the difference between H1N1, H3N2 and other strains, and describes why a "simple flu" cough can linger for six to eight weeks after the fever is gone. He also flags who is most at risk of severe complications — children under five, adults over 65, pregnant women and those with diabetes, heart, lung, kidney or liver disease — and why the flu vaccine, though underused by Indian adults, remains one of the safest and most effective ways to prevent serious illness. The conversation also covers the confusing world of flu testing — why bills for the same test can range from ₹1,000 to ₹30,000 — the truth about antibiotic overuse in viral infections, and why doctors recommend two doses of the flu vaccine a year for high-risk adults in India. Whether you've had a lingering cough, are wondering if you need a flu shot, or just want to separate fact from fear around vaccines, this episode brings clear, expert-backed answers from one of India's leading infectious disease specialists. And last but not the least, do listen to the nutrition power tip of the week by nutritionist Pooja Makhija (https://www.nourishgenie.com/) Chapters: 00:01 — Flu: More Than a Bad Cold 02:10 – Monsoon, not season, drives regional flu waves 02:38 – Decoding H1N1, H3N2 and the alphabet soup of strains 05:03 – Fever, body ache, cough: spotting flu early 06:05 – When "just a cold" turns into pneumonia 06:58 – The mystery cough that lasts six to eight weeks 09:03 – Children, elders, pregnant women: who's most at risk 10:01 – Vaccines work, but Indian adults still skip them 11:36 – Debunking the post-Covid vaccine fear 13:38 – Sore arm or serious risk? Sorting vaccine side effects 14:38 – Four shots every adult over 50 should get 17:22 – Arm, not the buttock: getting the shot right 18:22 – No national flu-shot date: timing it to your monsoon 20:31 – Trivalent or quadrivalent: choosing your flu shot 21:37 – Why high-risk adults need two flu shots a year 22:32 – Masks, hand rubs and the travel-and-weddings risk 23:13 – Inside the hospital: how doctors triage flu cases 26:01 – Why one flu test costs ₹1,000 and another ₹30,000 27:33 – The real reason doctors want to know your exact virus 29:03 – India's antibiotic overuse problem, explained
