NEW DELHI: Stay indoors. This is the advice doctors are giving to people in Delhi-NCR in view of the deteriorating air quality.
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In the past few days, Dr Sandeep Nayar from BLK Hospital said, they have witnessed four-to-five times increase in cases involving people with respiratory health issues, for example asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, complaining about exacerbation of symptoms.
“In some cases, we have had to admit patients,” said Dr Nayar, who heads the chest and respiratory disease division at the hospital. If pollution levels remain high, respiratory illnesses may peak further, leading to a crisis situation as hospitals are already struggling to cope with the rush of patients due to the Covid-19 outbreak, he added.
Dr J C Suri, who heads the pulmonology division at Fortis Vasant Kunj, said ICU beds at most hospitals were running full. “Elderly people and those with a history of illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, should stay indoors. They should take their medicines regularly and preferably also get flu shots.”
Advising such people maximum caution, Dr Suri said it was necessary “to prevent any complication of existing illnesses that may necessitate hospitalisation because the healthcare system is already overwhelmed due to Covid-19”.
Headaches, mood swings and depression are other health problems that are caused due to high pollution and a dip in mercury.
“I have got watery eyes and have been sneezing incessantly since morning. It is certainly caused by bad air. But I am also constantly checking my temperature to rule out Covid-19,” confessed Ashish Sharma, a resident of Malviya Nagar. He hasn’t got out of his room fearing worsening of symptoms, Sharma said.
Some people are also buying air purifiers. However, there’s a debate over the device’s role in tackling the air pollution-related problems. Doctors say longterm solutions, such as checking crop burning, reducing vehicular emissions and keeping roads dust-free, are needed.