Corona prevention steps help bring down summer illnesses

KOCHI: The robust personal hygiene and sanitation measures adopted in the state to keep novel coronavirus at bay seems to have paid off. Since residents have been forced to stay at home and maintain social distancing, thereby keeping away from crowded areas which would be hotbeds of all kinds of diseases, cases of various communicable diseases in the district have witnessed a drastic dip. Experts said there have been fewer cases of diseases like conjunctivitis and chickenpox have been reported in the past one month since the nationwide lockdown was imposed.

“Due to the Covid-19 scare and people maintaining social distancing, the spread of communicable diseases has come down. Just eight to nine cases of fever are being reported per day now, in comparison to 20 to 30 cases earlier.

Even chickenpox cases have come down than,” said Dr A Anitha, Superintendent, Ernakulam General Hospital. “Conjunctivitis cases, which spike in summer, have come down due to the lockdown. Earlier, I used to come across 50 cases a week. Now, there is hardly any case, just five in a week or so,” said Dr Mareen Abraham, an ophthalmologist.

Not taking chances

Ahead of the onset of the monsoon rains, the health department has stepped up efforts to keep the spread of communicable diseases in check. “Though cases of communicable diseases are fewer in the district, we cannot take any chances. We have started fogging in areas where dengue cases were reported earlier and officials have been appointed to ensure the completion of fogging in time. Awareness campaigns are also planned, though without dropping the guard against Covid-19.

We will ensure that the threat of communicable diseases is kept at bay as well,” said a health official. Last year, most dengue cases were reported from Gandhi Nagar, Kaloor and Karukappilly here. This year, suspected dengue cases have been reported from Varapetty, Punnekad, Ayavana, Lisie Road and Pallarimangalam. “So far, 10 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported in the district,” said a health official.