Fluctuation in mercury causing spurt in flu, cold and cough cases
PRAYAGRAJ : There has been an increase in cases of cold, cough, flu and sore throat besides pneumonia among children in the city as the winter chill has started making its presence felt with early morning fog and cold winds during nights.
Temperature, as recorded by the meteorological department on Friday, was 31.3 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was 15.3 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, the temperature was 30 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was 14.4 degrees Celsius.
“The sharp change in temperature as recorded in the city, or for that matter in the entire northern plains, is the phenomenon which would continue for this entire month as the difference in daily temperature would keep on decreasing till the time winter fully sets in”, said AU’s head of geography department prof AR Siddiqui.
Several hospitals are witnessing heavy rush and a sudden spurt in number of OPD patients mainly those suffering from viral fever, asthma or its related symptoms.
“As there has been a high fluctuation in the day and night temperatures these past few days, it provides an ideal environment for the growth and spread of viruses and bacteria, which is the common cause for various ailments”, said Dr Neelam Shukla, a medico based in Dhumanganj locality.
Dr Kamal Kumar, a senior local physician, said, “This lack of sunlight weakens our body’s immune system thereby making it a suitable environment for the viruses to survive in the body much longer than they can during summer”.
“Most people, including children of all ages, suffer with several winter ailments like the cold, cough, congestion, flu and sore throat,” said Dr SAM Meesum, another Sangam city doctor.
“The cold winter also brings with it different kinds of allergies and a problem of dry and itchy skin and people suffering from asthma may find their symptoms getting aggravated,” he added.
“As the temperatures fluctuate, make sure that your kid is kept warm at night,” suggests the expert.
Supplementing our food with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are vital to boost the body defence mechanism in order to fight the viruses and bacteria, Vitamin “C” in particular, is also advisable, said Dr RP Singh, in-charge, ESI Hospital-Naini.