Right when the people of Chennai had begun to breathe a sigh of relief after the Coronavirus scare got down a few notches, a range of other infections are coming into play. There are long queues in hospitals for consultations, in labs for blood tests, and also at drug stores for filling in prescriptions.
Mrs. Thangam Kanagasabapathy, a resident of VGN Mahalakshmi Nagar, Chennai said "I had been feeling the body pain for a few days since before the actual fever started". Body pain, vomiting, nausea, and fever are a few of the main symptoms faced by her over the past week. The doctor has advised her to take complete rest and has also prescribed medicines ostensibly for a better recovery. The doctor has also asked her to follow up in order to monitor her progress.
It is noted that almost all the tests written by the doctors are coming back with negative results for most of the common sicknesses at the given time.
However, in a few patients, an unexpected drop in platelet count has been observed, hence requiring hospitalization.
Common symptoms that are being reported:
Cough
Fever
Blocked nose
Severe Body Pain
Headache
Fatigue
This situation is uncommon in the last part of February when the city begins getting hot & humid. But, this year the night temperature has stayed low and mornings are still hazy - a perfect environmental concoction helping in the transmission of viruses. Furthermore, inconsistent cases of typhoid are being reported across the city.
Safety measures that can be undertaken to subside this:
Stay away from outside food
Do not consume cold products like chilled drinks or ice-cream
Do not self-medicate
Consult a doctor
(Input from various media sources)