Seasonal; nothing to worry about: Dr Naveed
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Mar 9: With the viral infection on rise, the Chest Disease Hospital has received nearly 100 cases of viral infections in the past 2 months, of which 52 per cent cases have been found positive for Influenza with the majority of cases being infected with Influenza and half a dozen with Influenza-A virus which is a subtype of H3N2.
As per details, out of 100 cases, 72 required further testing and out of those 52 cases have been found to be positive for Influenza. Out of those 52 cases of influenza, 7 cases tested positive for the Influenza-A virus, which is a subtype of H3N2.
The officials said that the numbers are from the last over 2 and a half months, noting that out of the rest of the samples collected for the RT-PCR testing, 18 percent of cases tested positive for Respiratory Sensation Virus and just a minuscule number for COVID-19 infection.
Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, who heads the Department of Pulmonary Medicine of Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar told Excelsior that over the past some time, they have been getting more influenza patients and that the majority of cases which have tested positive for influenza were already admitted in the hospital for treatment.
“There is nothing to worry about; it is seasonal and wanes off in just a few days; but it has been documented that more cases of influenza have been reported,” he said.
He said that like COVID-19, in the cases of influenza too, the doctors have to take care of patients with underlying medical conditions.
“Those patients might see being admitted to the hospital and will, in most cases, require more attention, while those who are healthy, do not really have to worry about it because it is seasonal; we have been receiving patients complaining of the persistent cough which continues for some time, in some cases extending for weeks together till the symptoms disappear,” he said.
Regarding its symptoms, Dr Shah said that those infected with the H3N2 virus will present fever, cough, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, body ache and diarrhoea as symptoms, adding that in the period of a few days, a week-maximum, these symptoms disappear.
He underlined that there was no need to worry about the increase in the cases while noting that the people who have been already vaccinated against the COVID-19 infection will have additional protection against influenza.
“While people do not have to worry, more and more protection is also required at the same time; those infected as well as those who present the symptoms must take the necessary precautions to avoid the further spread,” he said.
Large numbers of people in Kashmir for last few weeks are down with fever and severe chest infection. Doctors said that it takes one week to recover.
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