‘Dengue cases in Delhi will decrease in next 2 to 3 days’, says expert; cites falling temperature in city

“Dengue cases in Delhi have stabilised and will decrease in two to three days as the temperature is dipping and mosquito breeding reduces in this season,” Suresh Kumar, medical director at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital said.

The number of dengue cases in Delhi have stabilised and will come down in the next two or three days, the medical director at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital said on Saturday.

Over 2,700 cases of the viral disease have been confirmed and the related death toll reached nine in Delhi as of November 6. (HT File Photo)

“Dengue cases in Delhi have stabilised and will decrease in two to three days as the temperature is dipping and mosquito breeding reduces in this season,” Suresh Kumar said, according to news agency ANI.

The remarks came as more than 2,700 cases of the viral disease have been confirmed and the related death toll reached nine in the Capital as of November 6, according to a report by news agency PTI on Monday. The report also showed that the city witnessed the highest count since 2017 for the corresponding time period.

After suffering a disastrous outbreak of dengue in 2015 with 10,600 cases till October that year, Delhi in 2016 reported 4,431 cases. In the subsequent years, the city saw 4,726 cases in 2017, 2,798 cases in 2018, 2,036 cases in 2019 and 1,072 cases in 2020.

Meanwhile, several other experts have also said that the dengue cases in Delhi would reduce after mid-November.

“There is an epidemic like situation in Delhi and the situation has worsened in the last 4-5 weeks,” ANI quoted Pooja Khosla, senior consultant at the department of medicine in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital as saying.

Rajni Kherwal, medical superintendent at Swami Dayanand Hospital, told ANI, “There were many dengue patients who were admitted to ICU wards with signs of bleeding, platelets going down, DHF among others. We believe that the cases will be reduced by mid-November.”

Suresh Kumar also warned that all viruses, including the coronavirus, tend to stay in the environment for a longer period if the air is polluted. “When air is polluted, all viruses including the coronavirus, stay in the environment for a longer period. As per a study, the simple 3-layer masks reduce 65-95% of particles in the polluted air,” he said.

He also said that at least four children were being admitted to the hospital every day because of their pre-existing lung conditions. “After Diwali, around 10% to 15% more patients were admitted here. Every day four to five children are admitted with allergies, asthma, and breathing problems, as their pre-existing lung conditions deteriorate,” he added.