Every third person examined by doctors is saying that they are struggling with severe cough, common cold, and fever
Deepika Pasham
Hyderabad
Hospitals in the city are receiving many calls for appointments with general physicians. Patients complain of symptoms like severe cough, common cold and fever. Clinics are witnessing long queues of families carrying children.
General physicians who spoke to ‘The Pioneer’ said that every third person they examine is saying that they are struggling with severe cough, common cold and later fever.
Only one among 10 to 15 are wearing masks and doctors say that viral infections are spreading fast as people have completely given up masks and go around with the common cold. Individuals who had Covid-19 or not have lost resistance and easily fall prey to viral fevers.
Dr Pakhal Saketha, General Physician said, “There have been a few cases. One reason is the season change and the other is the water problem. Viruses can get transmitted through respiratory droplets as we have not been using masks. People are getting infected faster. These days we are not testing when we get a cough. I have cases where more than fever it is throat pain, cough and cold. The cough is very severe and lasts for one week to 10 days. People are trying many medicines but they come back saying that they haven’t noticed a change.”
But prescribing antibiotics is of no use as there are two types of viral infections, viz, upper respiratory tract and lower respiratory tract. Most antibiotics tend to treat lower respiratory tract infections but when it is upper respiratory tract it is throat irritation for which antibiotics don’t work, she added.
Most of the cases admitted in hospitals are children as they get infections easily. Doctors say that their running nose and sometimes fever is not coming down even after a month but in a few cases infection comes down.
Two city doctors say the cause is that February is the end of the flu season and viral infections decline as summer begins.
Dr Meenaja, General Physician, Apollo Hospital said, “Since a month patients are coming with a sore throat, running nose and body pains. The reasons could be climate change with variations in hot and cold temperatures. The transmission will come down if the person infected reduces contacts with others.”
