Hospitals are witnessing a surge in the cases of flue, nausea, headache and cough in addition to symptoms of depression and anxiety as winter has just begun with the hazards of smog in Rawalpindi.
Doctors and health experts have advised citizens to keep themselves warm and take precautionary measures.
Health authorities said that over 500 patients visited hospitals in Rawalpindi during the last 36 hours. The patients included elders, women and school-going children, they said.
Health experts have suggested vaccination against the virus as a precaution against the seasonal flu. Child specialist Dr Ashraf said that the number of patients complaining of ailments such as flu, fever and nausea, were on the rise due to the change in weather. He said that people were more prone to catching germs due to the prevailing spell of dry weather and smog.
Another health expert pointed out that this is the season when children face the most problem.
“People, especially children, can face different allergies in this season such as itchy eyes, runny nose and sore throat,” said Dr Ikram Khan. He said that everyone, young or old and especially kids, is severely affected by flu and cough. He advised people to take some precautionary steps since care was the best way to prevent allergy.
Apart from vaccines, doctors recommended taking a series of steps to protect one against influenza. These include regularly washing the hand and properly drying them afterward, adopting good respiratory hygiene such as covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, early self-isolation if feeling unwell, feverish or displaying other symptoms of influenza, and avoiding close contact with the sickly.
Asked about the symptoms, Dr Ashraf explained that they may include fever, sour throat, flu, headache, body ache, cough, and upper respiratory tract infection. He warned that unless these symptoms are treated properly, they could lead to lower tract infection, laryngitis, bronchitis, lungs infection and pneumonia, which could become fatal. They advised the health departments to launch a public awareness campaign and that patients suffering from influenza should be kept in isolation wards.
Health experts also said that patients suffering from asthma were likely to suffer severe attacks due to falling temperatures and on the other hand environmental pollution causing fog and smog in the city multiply the number of patients suffering from asthma and other chest and respiratory diseases.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2022.
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