Amritsar in grip of viral infections

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 8

Though there has been a sharp rise in the number of viral infections like dengue, chikungunya and conjunctivitis, the Health Department has so far reported only 50 dengue and 51 chikungunya cases.

Even a number of children have been infected with conjunctivitis (eye flu). Three prominent schools from the city reported that nearly 20 per cent of the students are sick and have stopped coming to school.

Most of the schools in the city have issued an advisory to the parents, asking them not to send the child to the school if he/she is sick. Some of these schools have also relaxed the uniform norms and allowed children to come in full pants and full sleeved shirts even if these are not uniforms.

The idea is to protect children from mosquito bites, which lead to the spread of dengue and chikungunya. The spike in chikungunya cases in the city has become a cause for concern. The district has rarely reported a case of chikungunya in the last few years.

Officials of the Health Department have attributed the spike in chikungunya cases to the accumulation of rainwater. Maximum cases of dengue and chikungunya have been reported from Chhehharta, Nariangarh and Majitha road areas with comparatively poor sanitation conditions.

As far as the official figures of 50 dengue and 51 chinkungunya cases are concerned, the actual number of patients with similar symptoms is much more. In Chhehharta area alone, whole families have been infected with the viral disease. In most cases, residents are getting treatment from private hospitals and clinics even as the government claims that it is providing it free of cost.

Health experts say people should increase intake of fluids and food items with Vitamin C. The patients have also been advised complete bed rest for at least five days or the condition can worsen. The doctors say that viral infections are treated symptomatically as there is no specific medicine available for them. The experts have also advised the residents not to pay any heed to social media videos claiming immediate relief with certain foods or ayurvedic medicines.

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