After rain, city reports 30% increase in viral infections

The aftermath of the rains has seen a spike in viral infections in Gurugram.

The recent spells of rain has brought with it a fresh bout of viral infections as hospitals in the city reported around 30% rise in such cases in the past three to four days.

Commuters wade through a waterlogged street at Sector 51 near Artemis hospital in Gurugram, India, on August 28. (SANJEEV  VERMA/HT PHOTO)

“Civil Hospital is receiving a large number of patients suffering from viral fever, diarrhoea and other seasonal diseases. Every third patient that we have attended to since Wednesday is either suffering from a viral (infection) or diarrhoea,” said Dr Naveen Kumar, a senior physician at the hospital.

Private hospitals in the city also reported a rise in the number of patients with viral infections in their out-patient department (OPD). Max Hospital in Sushant Lok 1 reported a rise of 30% in cases of viral fever, while Narayana Hospital in DLF Phase 3 reported a 50% increase.

Dr Satish Koul, senior consultant of internal medicine at Narayana Hospital, said he has been attending to approximately 25-30 cases of high fever, cold and cough, headaches over the past few days, which is almost double of what he sees on a daily basis.

Gurugram received 128mm of rainfall on Tuesday—the highest in a day since 2010. City recorded 40mm rainfall on Wednesday. After the rain, the average daytime temperature has come down to 32°C from 35°C last week. The relative humidity has been above 70% since Tuesday.

“Cold, cough and breathing difficulty, due to wheezing, are all on the rise over the past few days. With increase in humidity and dip in temperature, the environment becomes conducive for growth of bacteria and viruses,” said Dr Rajiv Dang, director, internal medicine, Max Hospital.

Dang added that there has also been an increase in cases of diarrhoea due to the rains. “Outside food is the main culprit. If you are eating outside, make sure you eat something that is piping hot,” he said.

Explaining why the body becomes more susceptible to viral infections and influenza during the monsoon, Koul said that during this season our body constricts the blood vessels to maintain its temperature, which hinders the ability of the nose to filter air properly causing bacteria to enter, leading to fever and infection. “Make it a point to consume plenty of water, hot fluids like soup and tea,” Koul said.

Doctors also suggested that people avoid frequent exposure to varying temperatures and keeping skin and hair dry to ward off ailments.