In KEM hospital, 40 patients with malaria and dengue are currently admitted. “So far we have not found cases of co-infection of Covid-19 with dengue, malaria or leptospirosis. All our patients are stable” said Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean, KEM hospital. (Representational)

Monsoon related ailments are slowly picking up in the city with the total number of Malaria cases in BMC hospitals almost doubling in June compared to the previous month. In June, 328 malaria cases, four dengue and one leptospirosis case were recorded by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). No deaths have been recorded due to these ailments in the last two months.

The number of malaria cases has almost doubled in June compared to May when there were 163 cases. BMC data shows three dengue and one leptospirosis cases were recorded in hospitals in May.

In KEM hospital, 40 patients with malaria and dengue are currently admitted. “So far we have not found cases of co-infection of Covid-19 with dengue, malaria or leptospirosis. All our patients are stable” said Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean, KEM hospital.

KEM hospital has reserved a separate ward for water-borne infections. Each patient with dengue, malaria or leptospirosis is also tested for Covid-19.Doctors across the city are also testing patients positive for water-borne diseases for coronavirus.

“This is because the symptoms of the two are so similar. In the last one month we had few covid-19 patients who tested positive for dengue. They had joint pain and back pain could be managed,” said Dr Behram Pardiwalla, general physician with Wockhardt hospital.

Co-infection of Covid-19 with other monsoon ailments is still rare. Doctors anticipate dengue to rise once heavy rainfall is followed by a dry spell for a few days that is when the Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding is conducive.

Dr Shahid Barmare, general physician, said, “I have treated five cases of Malaria in a month. But no dengue or leptospirosis cases have come to me. Severity of illness is also low in malaria patients right now. We expect cases to shoot when Mumbai sees water stagnation.”

At least 8,000 beds have been reserved for non-Covid illnesses in BMC hospitals to handle monsoon diseases like leptospirosis, dengue, malaria, typhoid, gastroenteritis and cholera. Another 150 BMC dispensaries will focus on Monsoons related illnesses.