The city is reeling under the impact of seasonal infections of viral flu, dengue, chikungunya, and gastroenteritis.
The outpatient departments in private and government have been seeing a significant increase in the number of patients daily.
The instances of viral infections have gone up in the last two weeks with the advancement of monsoons. Doctors, however, said that there was no significant surge but there was a steady rise in dengue and chikungunya cases as of now.
Doctors are facing a critical challenge of identifying viral, dengue, or chikungunya as the preliminary symptoms for these infections are same — high-grade fever, body and joint pains, and severe headache.
In the wake of shifting weather patterns and a dip in temperature in Hyderabad, there has been a surge in viral infections. Doctors are advising the public to refrain from unnecessary antibiotic use and emphasise the importance of wearing masks.
The onset of these infections typically manifests as mild throat pain, progressing to severe cold accompanied by fever and chills within a day. Although the fever may subside, the cold persists, and individuals may experience severe joint pains, rendering their fingers almost immobile. This condition, known as reactive arthritis, tends to improve with movement, said Dr. Saketa Reddy, a general physician based in Hyderabad.
Dr. Reddy cautioned that some individuals testing positive for reactive arthritis are being prescribed steroids, posing potential long-term challenges. Additionally, certain patients are presenting symptoms such as watery eyes and diarrhoea. Dr. Reddy attributes these issues to the abrupt weather changes, suggesting that the virus is being reactivated.
Fever Hospital has reported a daily influx of 300-400 cases over the past week, marking a decrease from previous times. Dr. Shanker, the hospital superintendent, noted that the number of cases during this period last year was considerably higher.
Amid a steady flow of cases of viral hepatitis, acute gastritis, viral fever and dengue, doctors report that illnesses have been lasting for longer among several patients. Patients are suffering for as long as 14 days to 20 days, keeping hospital corridors busy.
“Compromised immunity and diseased lungs — seen in Covid-affected persons where the organ has not completely recovered — are primary reasons for this extended period of suffering,” said Dr Ashish Chauhan, internal medicine specialist, reiterating that the cases being reported currently are a mix of dengue, typhoid, hepatitis, leptospirosis and salmonella. “These result from intake of contaminated food and water,” he added.
The increase in lifestyle disorders which has impacted cardiac health, has further slowed down people’s capacity to recover, say experts. In the last two to three years, instances of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease has seen a huge jump say doctors, adding how several cases of denovo diabetes and hypertension have been recorded in the state among those who recovered from Covid-19.
“Many of the patients walking into our hospital with fever, cold etc have overlapping symptoms of dengue, hepatitis A and leptospirosis. It is difficult to tell one from the other and there might be cases of simultaneous infections with two viruses,” said a doctor at an area hospital in the city, citing the case of a 27-year-old who suffered from three instances of fever and diarrhoea in four months. Each time, the patient took 15 to 17 days to recover.
Reduced immunity, meanwhile, has become a cause for concern. “We are seeing at least two to three cases of viral hepatitis per day now and the numbers are expected to increase. Youngsters between 18 to 25 years are among the most affected. It is taking 14 days to recover,” said Dr Mithil Ghushe, consultant internal medicine, adding he is seeing about eight dengue cases a day too.
Looking ahead, over the coming weeks, there are concerns about an impending rise in viral infections in the city. Dr. Madap Karuna, a paediatrician, highlighted that adenovirus infections, a common cause of respiratory and digestive tract issues, were prevalent around this time last year. However, Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, the chief paediatrician from Magna Centre, provided a contrasting perspective, stating that fewer children have fallen ill this year. While potential cases of cough and cold may arise in the future, she noted that the overall incidence has remained low since the beginning of August – September. #hydkhabar
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