Along with the rise in the number of influenza H1N1 cases, the city is now also under the grip of fever and upper respiratory tract infections. Doctors attribute this to fluctuations in weather and increased allergen and pollen load.
Hospitals are seeing a number of patients with lower and upper respiratory tract infection, viral fever and other related infections. At least six out of every 10 patients suffer from sore throat, fever, runny nose, cough, allergic bronchitis, asthma and middle ear infection. Without adequate precautions, most tend to develop Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Airway Disease (COPD), say doctors.
While the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital has been receiving nearly 50 cases of upper respiratory tract infection and around 15 cases of fever daily, Victoria Hospital has been flooded with patients with symptoms of allergic bronchitis and asthma attacks. It is a similar scene at the K.C. General Hospital, with nearly 20 cases of viral fever and over 50 patients with respiratory tract infection being treated in the outpatient department daily.
Mohan Rajanna, resident medical officer of K.C. General Hospital, says, “While fever is secondary to respiratory infection in some cases, most are reporting only fever. However, no one required admission as they all reported early,” he says.
K.R. Ravindra, professor of medicine at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, to which Victoria Hospital is attached, says as viral bronchitis and the resultant flu are contagious, more people are susceptible to these infections during this season.
Private hospitals
Sudarshan Ballal, chairman, Manipal Hospitals, says while the rise in H1N1 is a concern, other respiratory ailments are also on the rise. “We test about 80 to 90 people for this daily as compared to the 5 to 10 being treated earlier. People need to be aware and take precautions. If anyone has cough, cold and flu-like symptoms, it is advisable for them to stay at home as they can spread the virus thereby infecting others,” he says.
Pointing out that usually viral infections are on the rise in this part of the year, Dr. Ballal says, “What I have seen is that viral diseases come every second or third year. For instance one year it may be dengue/chikungunya and H1N1 another year. We also have been seeing many post viral arthralgia and arthritis too. The key is to build a cleaner society by prevention of mosquito breeding. Public health awareness will help prevent respiratory illness,” he adds.
Advising people to take precautions and stay fit, these doctors say keeping warm and eating properly cooked food are key to remaining healthy. Stepping out early in the morning and late in the evening should be avoided. Children and the elderly should not be exposed to the cold weather, they advise.
999 H1N1 cases so far
The number of H1N1 positive cases reported in Karnataka that stood at 652 till October 20, touched 999 on Friday. Five more persons succumbed to the disease in the last two days taking the total H1N1 death toll to 17 on Friday.
Officials from the State Health Department, who admit that H1N1 cases are on the rise, claim that the severity of the disease has come down.
