Doctors have observed an alarming number of viral infections uncharacteristic of a typical summer even as the city reels under a scorching summer heat.
?There has been a daily rush of patients who have been coming with flu-like symptoms in the past couple of weeks. Cases of cold, cough, fever, body ache and general fatigue are also coming in. this is unlike the usual summer ailments we see every year,? said Dr Hemant Thacker, consultant at Jaslok Hospital and Breach Candy Hospital.
Dr Neesha Gaala, general physician in Dadar, has also observed a similar trend. ?Apart from expected cases of dehydration and heat stroke, which are seen in this weather, there have been many complaints of common cold, cough and respiratory problems. Asthmatics, who are usually stable in this kind of weather, have also been been complaining of viral attacks.?
Thacker attributed the phenomenon to the extreme and prolonged winter that the city experienced this year and the cloud cover in the past week. ?Usually, infection causing viruses subside by the end of February. this year, with winter extending up to March, bouts of viral infections have also continued. The dust storm and the cloud cover in the city in the past week have contributed to pathogens hanging to particulate matter in the air,? he said.
Doctors advise basic hygiene and exercise. ?People should avoid drinking cold water and iced drinks, especially after stepping indoors from a high temperature. It is very important to wash hands thoroughly before and after meals,? said Dr Shahid Barmare, physician at Kohinoor Hospital.
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