Hyderabad: After witnessing an alarming rise in September and October, Chikungunya cases have been slowly declining for the past few weeks. With the dip in temperatures, the cases of viral fevers, cold and cough are on the rise.
The Fever Hospital has been flooded with cases of viral fevers. Several doctors have been receiving cases with Influenza symptoms, characteristic of cold weather, which is distinctively cold this year, as per the IMD.
"Patients are coming with a stuffy nose, dry cough, intractable cough, which is not subsiding with local treatment. Some clinics are also using antivirals without getting positive on flu tests. Early contact with doctors in case of symptoms such as cough, change in voice, headaches, low temperature can help in early detection and prevent deteriorating into pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infection," said Dr Praveen Kumar Kulkarni, senior physician at KIMS, Secunderabad.
He advised people to drink boiled water and observe precautions like wearing masks. "We have forgotten basic measures we used to take during Covid-19 like covering the mouth and nose while sneezing and keeping our distance. These measures can prevent the transferring of viral fever among family members," he explained.
As per Dr Ajit Singh, medical superintendent at Care Hospitals, Banjara Hills, patients are coming with Influenza B symptoms, which is like any other viral infection. "The symptoms of fever, sore throat, cough and cold are due to a change in weather and since the IMD has also declared a particularly colder winter, people need to take precautions such as wearing winter clothing, especially during early mornings, evenings and nights. Influenza is a bit contagious, but as of now, it is not alarming. It may spike significantly in the coming days. Hence, observing precautions is necessary," he said.
He also added that these cases could not be attributed to the increase in air pollutants, as separate tests are required for that. As of now, patients are only tested for flu and other viral infections. Notably, the doctors pointed out that the Chikungunya cases in the past two months were significantly higher and double the number of dengue cases. This is not reflected in the data shared by the government. Doctors agree that those cases are now declining.
