Along with a gradual rise in COVID-19 cases, Bengaluru is now also under the grip of fever, upper respiratory tract infections, and seasonal influenza.
Attributing this to fluctuations in weather and intermittent rains, doctors said that they are seeing at least 10-15 patients with lower and upper respiratory tract infections, viral fever, and other related infections daily. Most of them are reporting with complaints of sore throat, fever, runny nose, cough, allergic bronchitis, asthma, and middle ear infections.
With symptoms being similar to COVID, people are becoming increasingly confused. With a low platelet count and a number of symptoms being common signs both in COVID and dengue, some doctors are advising patients to get tested for both.
Pre-COVID activity
COVID experts said that the usual seasonal influenza activity was curtailed in the first two years of the pandemic and even during the third wave. “This was mainly because people were following precautions such as wearing masks, hand hygiene, social distancing and cough etiquette. Now people have almost returned to pre-COVID era and face masking is ignored. This is another reason for the spurt in airborne respiratory ailments,” said M.K. Sudarshan, chairman of the State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
B.R. Venkateshaiah, Medical Superintendent of the State-run K.C. General Hospital, said the hospital has recorded nearly a 30% spike in cases of viral fever and other respiratory infections. “We are also seeing a lot of patients with dengue-like symptoms. Of the 1,000 patients that we see in the out-patient department daily, nearly 30% are those with seasonal influenza and dengue — like symptoms,” he said.
Brunda M.S., Consultant — Internal Medicine at Aster CMI Hospital, advised that if symptoms are not settling after initiating treatment in a day or two, it is advisable to get tested for COVID.
Haleema Yezdani, general physician who has been tele-triaging and tele-treating COVID patients through the Emergency Response Team and Project StepOne group (a NGO), said, “People should not panic with every symptom of respiratory illness that mimics COVID-19. If symptoms persist for more than two days with high grade fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea or nausea and body pain, people should seek medical advice,” she said, adding that isolation till diagnosis is important.
Children more prone
Aravinda G.M., Consultant — Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospital (Jayanagar), said that usually viral fever and respiratory tract infections are common in June-July. “For the last two years there was some kind of protection as schools were closed and people worked from home due to COVID lockdowns. Now, we have noticed that children are catching infections at school and parents get infected from them in two-three days,” the doctor said.
He said among all those turning up with flu-like symptoms, nearly 20% are testing positive for COVID. “Only a swab test will confirm if a person has COVID or a seasonal influenza. Apart from the common symptoms, myalgia is more common in dengue and COVID. On the other hand, loss of taste and smell is common in COVID,” he said.
