Viral fever cases spikes, sparks uptick in OP numbers at hosps

Hyderabad: The outpatient (OP) numbers have almost doubled in the city hospitals during the last ten days because of the viral fevers coupled with cough and cold and body pains, even as the doctors attribute this to the change in weather conditions and people have thrown caution to the wind by not following the SOPs like wearing of masks.

The major hospitals in the city including Osmania, Gandhi, Fever Hospital, Niloufer hospital gripped by a spurt in cases of outpatients. The patients are seen lined up at these hospitals with symptoms like cough and body pains. A patient Narasimha from Kudbiguda waiting at Fever Hospital at Koranti said that the doctors had prescribed tests after his mother had fever and cough for more than five days. "After tests, I came here to take the OP number so that I can show it to the doctors," said Narasimha.

The doctors said that generally by this time of the year, there will be no cases like fever because of the onset of the summer season. However, Osmania JUDA president Dr Srikanth Sathivada said that the cases have increased in the city. The reason might be that there may be Covid-19 variants making people susceptible to various infections. There are multiple variants of Covid-19 and if the human body can't fight it out, it harms and results in a flu like situation. The hospital generally has an OP of 120 per day but now it has reached above 200 showing the fast spread.

Dr Srikanth said that the best precaution for this was maintaining immunity. Along with this the people should follow the SOP of wearing masks. The cases are increasing because people are becoming carriers, be it the children in schools and adults going to public places.

The viral infection was not limited to the elderly but also affected the children. Pradeep Shukhla, a private employee, came with his child with a cold and cough at Niloufer hospital. He said that his child continuously has the symptoms of cold and cough but this time it is more severe. The doctors said that an infection which is more than three days old is a viral infection and this should be treated. A child specialist Dr Swamy Sandeep said that many of the doctors are contemplating it as H3N2, Swine flu was prevailing in India but as per a study, some of the cases were adenovirus, which is now prevailing in the country.

The doctors said the shift in the weather conditions is also one of the reasons for the spurt in the cases. The summer has started but still the cold conditions are prevailing and exposure to seasonal change would also result in cold and cough, the doctors said.