Viral fever cases drop as people remain indoors

Coimbatore: Other than the lull in Covid-19 cases, the district has another reason to rejoice - the number of viral fever cases that require admission has dropped considerably since the lockdown began.
As per the data available with the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), just 170 people were admitted to hospitals in the district with fever in April, compared to 400 to 580 in the same period in previous years.
The district had reported 547 admissions of fever patients in April 2019, 585 in 2018, 1,006 in 2017 and 412 in 2018.
So far this month, the district has recorded only 78 admissions of fever patients, against 507 in the comparable period last year, 521 in 2018, 1,071 in 2017 and 296 in May 2016.
Health officers and doctors attribute this drop to lockdown and fear of Covid-19 that kept people indoors and take immunity boosters. Dr G Ramesh Kumar, deputy director of public health, says, “Fever is often caused by viruses, which people contract from others or touching a surface carrying fomites. Since people are remaining indoors now, they are not much exposed to such viruses.”
Community medicine experts say there is a drastic drop in patients with cold, cough and mild fever. Dr Sudha Ramalingam, professor, community medicine, PSG Hospitals, says, “The number of people coming to our clinic with cold or cough has reduced to negligible single digits. Usually, the number of outpatients coming for consultation for these complaints is an indicator of a virus outbreak.”
Some doctors say many of their patients, especially in the vulnerable age group, have begun taking extra precautions to stay safe. Dr Rajendran, paediatrician, Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital, says, “They are ensuring better hygiene by stepping out with masks, constantly washing hands, using sanitizer and consuming only boiled water that too in lukewarm temperature. So, we are not getting the usual high diarrhoea cases that we see this month.”
However, the trend is not a state-wide phenomenon. For instance, private hospitals in Madurai continue to see fever cases. “While April and May are not fever seasons here, the number of cases with general cold, cough and fever is still coming to hospitals. It has not reduced much compared to last year,” says Dr Ramesh, Velammal Medical College and Hospital in Madurai.