As the city shivers with a drop in temperature, fever and flu are making a comeback.
Senior consultant physician at KIMS Hospitals, K. Shivaraju says he has come across two categories of cases in the past week. The first category includes the 60 years-plus age group who are post-COVID, with asthma, and have developed lung infections, necessitating hospitalisation.
The other is the younger population complaining of cold, cough, fever, throat pain and blocked nose.
“Normally, it comes down in three to five days, but now it is prolonged — seven to 10 days. People have been complaining that they caught cold or fever after going out at night,” says Dr Shivaraju.
Given the pandemic situation, prolonged cold and fever are making people fearful and undergo COVID tests. In such a scenario, the consultant physician advises following safety precautions to avoid unnecessary anxiety about COVID test results and fear among family members.
A professor of Pulmonology at Government General and Chest Hospital, M. Narender says people have to cover themselves with warm clothes, take flu shots, avoid smoking and stay indoors. He suggests that doors and windows can be kept shut and opened every four hours for ventilation.
Doctors advise against going out in the cold, be it for early morning walks or late-night rides. “If people are to go out, they have to take extra protective measures to keep themselves warm,” says Dr Shivaraju.
