Viral diarrhoea breaks out among children
Nurses, doctors, and a respiratory therapist intubate a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to put pressure on Humber River Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada January 20, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS
Twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are in grip of a diarrhea outbreak, and hundreds of people, especially children, are being brought daily to public and private hospitals for treatment.
The prime reason behind this viral diarrhea that is on the rise in Islamabad is poor personal hygiene, said Pediatrician and Infectious Disease Specialist Dr Ejaz Khan.
"We have witnessed a sudden increase in the number of children affected with diarrhea here at the Children Emergency in Shifa International Hospital," he said.
A relatively larger number of children have been admitted to our hospital than routine; a majority of them have come with complaints of diarrhea but they were also found suffering from fever, nausea, vomiting, cramps, dehydration, and body rashes, he added. He advised the parents to ensure proper hygiene in their children and keep them hydrated if they have caught diarrhea. Officials of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have also confirmed receiving an increased number of patients with diarrhea complaints.
"The majority of children have been found infected with viruses as they are having loose or watery stools, fever, vomiting, headache, and stomachache,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2022.