Viral infection-induced cough, cold and fever cases surge in Pune
Due to weather fluctuations, the number of cases of cold, cough, and fever caused by viral infection has increased significantly in children, high-risk patients, and senior citizens over the last week
PUNE:
Due to weather fluctuations, the number of cases of cold, cough, and fever caused by viral infection has increased significantly in children, high-risk patients, and senior citizens over the last week.
Seasonal variations, resulting in cold weather at night and hot weather during the day, have contributed to an increase in the number of viral infections in the city, according to doctors.
According to doctors at Sassoon Hospital, extreme cold and hot weather fluctuations cause changes in temperature and relative humidity, which increases viral activity and transmission, exposing humans, particularly children and the elderly, to pathogens to which they have had less exposure and immunity.
According to doctors, Pune is experiencing unexpected temperature fluctuations, resulting in hotter days and colder nights.
Shalini Deshpande, a resident of Kothrud, said most of her family members and neighbours are sick with complaints of cough, fever, and body ache. “First my six-year-old fell ill, post which I and my husband also fell sick. Today most of our family members are ill. Doctors have told us that these symptoms will last for three-four days,” said Deshpande.
According to Dr Milind Joshi, the viral infection is a result of erratic weather. “Normally, I’d see three to four people a day with colds, coughs, and fevers. The figure has more than tripled since last week. We’ve also seen sore throats and colds that last for several days, owing to the fact that, since Covid, many people have been unable to respond to such infections as quickly as they used to.”
The minimum temperature (taken during the early morning) at Shivajinagar, which is representative of Pune, was 12.8 degrees C while the maximum temperature was 34.7 degrees C, which was slightly less than the past two days.
Another doctor, Habib Shaikh said, “The number of patients affected by strong fever including cough and cold has increased due to extreme weather conditions. People must wear masks to ward off the viral disease in the first place.”
Patient Kanchan Madhwani said, “I caught the virus after coming into contact with someone who already had it. I’ve had a fever and a cold for a few days.”