Seasonal ailments in and around Hyderabad get ‘trickier’

Government hospitals are dealing with an unusual combination of seasonal summer-related ailments, viral fevers, influenza due to H3N2

Hyderabad: This year’s landscape of seasonal diseases in and around Hyderabad has been quite tricky, as the general public and government hospitals are dealing with an unusual combination of seasonal summer-related ailments, viral fevers, influenza due to H3N2, which is a severe form of H1N1 (swine flu) and Covid positive infections, largely driven by XBB. 1.1.6, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in Maharashtra.

Between last December and this year’s February, viral fevers, upper respiratory tract infections due to winter, dengue, typhoid and sporadic cases of Covid infections due to Omicron were active.

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Since March to the present day, the H3N2 influenza virus became the dominant circulating virus in the community, triggering flu-like ailments with cold, fever, body aches and a persistent cough that refuses to go away easily.

Within a few weeks, the XBB 1.1.6 variant of SARS-CoV-2 started to get a foothold in the community and Covid cases have been since rising.

Apart from Covid infections, due to the hot and dry weather conditions, Hyderabad and parts of Telangana are prone for cases of heat strokes.

“At present, I believe that there is a need for people to take precautions from the summer heat and avoid venturing out between 12 noon and 4 pm if it is possible. In a week or from now, temperatures will consistently cross 40 degrees Celsius across Telangana and people must take measures to avoid getting heat strokes,” says seasonal diseases expert and Superintendent of Fever Hospital Dr K Shankar.

No signs of threat from Covid

Senior public health officials from Telangana involved in tracking the development of SARS-CoV-2 have maintained there is no reason for people to panic due to a rise in cases of Covid infections.

“There are very few Covid admissions at tertiary government teaching hospitals, including Gandhi, OGH and Chest Hospital. We have been tracking developments in Maharashtra and other neighbouring States and there is no evidence that the new Covid variant is causing a significant rise in hospitalisations. People must continue to take basic precautions and avoid getting exposed to the hot sun in the coming days,” senior public health officials said.