Shazneen Mistry
The monsoon season is on and due to the heavy downpour, Mumbai is facing monsoon-related ailments, especially malaria. According to the data provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), there has been an almost 56 per cent rise in cases of malaria in July compared to the previous month.
The civic body has warned citizens against self-medication as they may confuse Covid-19 with seasonal ailments due to similar symptoms. There were 357 malaria cases in June which increased to 557 the next month. Similarly, 19 cases of dengue were reported in July in the same time period as opposed to 12 in June. Cases of swine flu have doubled as well due to the cases that rose from six in June to 18 in July.
Due to the heavy rainfall, civic officials have claimed that the incidences of mosquito-borne ailments have increased. They also added that more people are approaching doctors timely as a result of rising awareness.
“Every monsoon, we witness a surge in cases like malaria and dengue. Last year, cases were fewer due to the lockdown. This year, the movement of people outside is more, so cases have increased. However, we are also investigating the reason behind the rise in cases,” said the executive health officer of BMC.
“Along with malaria and dengue, the incidence of leptospirosis has also increased. This can be attributed to the heavy rain recorded last week,” said Dr. Ramesh Bharmal, dean of the hospital.
Civic-run major hospitals are witnessing a sudden rise in the footfall of patients related to monsoon ailments. They are being referred to the fever clinics that started last year for diagnosis of Covid-19. Between July 25 and 31, BYL Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central recorded 1,091 patients with fever at their outpatient department (OPD) clinic. Of this, four were diagnosed with malaria, nine were admitted for dengue and five patients tested positive for leptospirosis.
Considering that Covid-19 has symptoms similar to monsoon-related ailments, all hospitals are conducting RT-PCR tests among patients with symptoms such as fever, cough, respiratory tract infections to overrule the possibility of misdiagnosis. So, if a patient has mostly upper respiratory symptoms like runny nose and sore throat, flu is more likely. Joint pains and swelling suggest chikungunya; loss of taste, smell, or breathlessness suggest Covid. Blood tests help in making a diagnosis when clinical features do not help.
The government has advised all the people to take care of themselves as the time is not safe and there are a lot of illnesses roaming in one’s environment. People need to be careful and aware of all the diseases going on around them and take precautionary measures against these diseases.
