Amidst a general upsurge in swine flu cases in the state (and the country) this year, the first suspected swine flu death of the season has been reported in Jalandhar.Across the state, the number of patients who’ve tested positive for swine flu so far has reached 220.The deceased was an 85-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who had tested positive for swine flu earlier, and has been recorded as the first suspected swine flu death of the state.Identified as Mool Raj (85), resident of Tajpur from Jamsher Khas, he had been admitted to Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, for treatment, where he died, on Friday.The patient had a history of COPD, was admitted with shortness of breath and tested positive for H1N1 on September 2 at the GMC, Amritsar.The Health authorities said he was immuno-compromised, with pre-existing co-morbidities, including COPD, hence true cause of his death couldn’t be concluded to be H1N1 until a formal health audit was conducted.As per data shared by the Health Department, in Punjab as many as 220 patients have tested positive for swine flu so far. The maximum number of cases in the state have been reported in Ludhiana (72) and SAS Nagar (36), followed by Patiala (16), Moga (11) and Jalandhar (10).The cases across other cities are within single digits – nine in Ropar and the least in Fazilka – one. In the remaining districts, cases range from two to eight.Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Friday said the H1N1 was being closely monitored and so far, the strain reported this year hasn’t been found to be a new or mutated one. The minister also said that the cause of the death of the 85-year-old patient in Jalandhar was unlikely to be swine flu.Across the state – from January until now – as many as 1,513 suspected cases have been tested for swine flu, of whom 220 have been reported to be positive. Of these, 14 were found to have tested positive on Friday.The recent rise in the cases is being witnessed since August.Flu corners and isolation units have also been set up across Punjab to tackle the surge.