Google Shuts Down Office After Swine Flu Scare

Alarm bells have been ringing in the information technology industry after Google shut down its office for two days following one of its staff testing positive for H1N1 (swine flu). The incident occurred on 13th July at the Hyderabad office. The fresh case is of a student who is doing MS  Computers in San  Francisco and had travelled to Hyderabad on an Emirates flight via  Dubai on July 11.

IT Firms, which otherwise deny leave applications, are now liberally granting leave to employees complaining of swine flu symptoms. Every IT company big and small is not worried about the virus. It must be noted that employees in the IT industry travel in huge numbers and are vulnerable to contacting the swine flu virus.

Health officials are dismissing the fears as baseless. Employees are not convinced. They argue that they work in air-conditioned offices which they believe helps the swine flu virus spread faster.

Earlier another employee at Mindtree Hyderabad too tested positive for swine flu. However the company has not shut down its office. "Immediately after the detection of the case, we have quarantined the employee and taken measures to arrest the spread of the virus" a MindTree statement said here on Wednesday.

This takes the total number of swine flu victims in Hyderabad to 35.

Write a Comment