PATNA: As the city shivers with the mercury plummeting to nearly 6 degrees C, common cold and flu virus is making its presence felt with almost 20% rise in the number of patients at the hospitals. Health experts have advised residents to take all precautions and cautioned that they expect such cases to increase further.
The former superintendent of PMCH, Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, said every year in December and January the hospital witnesses at least 20% increase in the arrival of patients with cough and cold at the medicine department and even more patients in the paediatric department with cases of pneumonia in children.
The current PMCH superintendent, Dr Bimal Karak, agreed and added that there were nearly 15 patients admitted at the hospital due to common cold and flu, while at least 10 people are coming every day at the OPD with such problems.
Even private clinics were seeing 15 to 20% increase in the number of patients with cold-related problems. City-based physician Dr Diwakar Tejasvi said his clinic has seen a 20% increase in the number of patients suffering from cough, running nose, sore throat and mild fever.
“There is also an increase in the number of patients with high blood pressure and cases of cerebrovascular accidents also increase as well as those of stroke,” Dr Diwakar added.
Asked how one can differentiate between common cold symptoms and that of Covid-19, he said, “In case of Covid-19 there is dry cough and shortness of breath. Sore throat is common in both cases, but in Covid-19, there is more weakness. Also, loss of smell and taste is specific to Covid-19 and not generally in the case of flu.”
He said doctors in the city were getting Covid-19 tests done. “We do not want to take a risk, and since a free test is available, we ask people to get tested. A young person with Covid-19 may not be much symptomatic, but he may pass on the virus to elderly people in his family.”
Expecting the weather to be colder in the coming days, doctors advised people to take all precautions, including wearing warm clothes and avoiding exposure to the cold as much as possible.
IGIMS neuro medicine department head Dr Ashok Kumar said since people avoid walking in this weather and sleep more, blood flow decreases. “Long sleep increases chances of a blood clot,” said Dr Ashok. Doctors cautioned not to go for a morning walk in the chilly winter.