Besides battling “very poor” air quality, Delhiites are now facing the onslaught of dengue, malaria and seasonal flu which are leading the hospitals report very heavy patient load this past week.
“The change of seasons cannot just be blamed for the sudden spurt in the cases of these diseases as improper sanitation and infrastructural limitations of the country are also at fault,” said Mohamad Yusuf N. Shaikh, founder of Kudrati Ayurved Healthcare.
1,020 dengue cases
Delhi has reported 1,020 dengue cases this year — 374 were recorded in September, 58 in August, 19 in July, eight in June, 10 in May, two in April, one in March, three in February and six in January — Health Department records have stated.
Vikramjeet Singh, senior consultant (Internal Medicine) at Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, said that at the initial stage, people suffering from dengue have fever accompanied by joint pain, headaches and muscle pain.
They, Dr. Singh said, gradually develop other symptoms of dengue that include rashes on the hands and legs, vomiting, loss of appetite, nausea and pain in the eyes. In malaria, he said the fever stays for a shorter duration. Other symptoms of the disease are joint pain, anaemia, chills, vomiting, sweating and convulsions. Malaria occurs in three stages — cold, hot, and sweating stage.
Viral fever
Speaking about viral fever, which is also seeing a rapid rise in the city R.K. Singal, Internal Medicine, BLK Super Speciality Hospital said: “The viruses which trigger viral fever usually find their way into the body through the throat where it multiplies and moves on to either the stomach or the blood stream.” Dr. Singal said that during the initial period, one should gargle with salt water every 4 hours. For precaution and speedy recovery, one should avoid stepping out in the open or in the crowded places or if needed to do so, one must then cover the face.
Dr. Singh also noted that change in seasons and humidity are factors responsible for a rise in cases of viral fever and mosquito-borne diseases.
“Patients, who come to the OPD, complain of symptoms like fever, nausea, joint pain, vomiting, etc. It is important to know that dengue is a communicable disease. If a mosquito bites someone after it has bitten an infected patient, it will infect the former,” Dr. Singh said. A dengue case can get complicated if blood platelets begin to drop rapidly within a period of 2-3 days, he said.
