Frayed nerves: Panic spreads faster than dengue

Experts try to calm the public while Punjab govt imposes restrictions to curb spread of disease.

LAHORE:

As news of a dengue epidemic continues to dominate the news media, medical experts warned the public against panicking, reminding people that dengue is a treatable disease that has a very low fatality rate.

A number of experts who spoke to The Express Tribune said that many of the deaths currently being reported as having been caused by dengue may in fact have been those of ‘compromised patients’ who already had weak immune systems.

“People just don’t need to panic. Panic weakens the immunity system. Every death cannot just be put into the dengue category. This should be carefully reported,” said Dr Shahid Malik, assistant professor of community medicine at the Institute of Public Health in Lahore, adding that the mortality rate for dengue was close to zero.

“Even those who have common fever are also very tense. Prevention is important but panic is a big problem that must be avoided,” he added.

Doctors advised that people suffering from viral diseases like hepatitis need to be careful as their immunity system is weaker than normal people and dengue can affect them more than it does to healthy people. Such people are advised to avoid any contact with mosquitoes. “Just follow preventive measures and dengue will be harmless,” said Dr Masood Sheikh, chairman of the Pakistan Medical Society.

According to the World Health Organisation “it is important to maintain hydration. Use of acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin) and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Ibuprofen) is not recommended. Dengue haemorrhagic fever (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding) is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. Early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by experienced physicians and nurses increase survival of patients.”

The Punjab Health Department said it received reports of 413 more cases of dengue in the province on Saturday, of which 400 were from Lahore. At least 32 people were suspected to have died from the disease, including six on Saturday, though this number could not be confirmed.

Government steps in

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has banned the use of water in public places and imposed section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code in Lahore, which would bar the gathering of more than four people in any given location. The measure was reportedly taken at the advice of a team of Sri Lankan medical experts, headed by Dr. Hassitha Tessessira, who are currently visiting the province and helping the government tackle the outbreak. Dr Tessessira echoed the advice of many Pakistani experts and said that people should avoid panicking. The doctor said that people should especially refrain from getting themselves tested repeatedly for the disease.

Sialkot’s first cases

At least five people were admitted to hospitals in Sialkot on Saturday after being suspected of having contracted dengue fever. If confirmed, the five people would be the first in Sialkot to have contracted the disease.

Dr Zafar Awan, medical supervisor at the Government Allama Iqbal Hospital, however, said that only two patients were suspected of having dengue and even their diagnosis was not yet confirmed. He added, however, that the city’s hospitals had acquired enough testing kits and allocated beds in case an outbreak did occur.

(With additional reporting by Junaid Aftab in Sialkot)



Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2011.