BMC Issues Advisory for Monsoon-Related Illnesses & COVID

BMC Issues Advisory for Monsoon-Related Illnesses & COVID

“We were told to test all patients with fever for dengue, malaria, typhoid and COVID,” says a BMC doctor.

As we enter into June, Maharashtra is set to battle the monsoons and their surge in COVID-19 cases.

On 2 June, FIT posted a story about monsoon preparedness - or the lack thereof - in Mumbai as explained by doctors and experts across the state.

Various doctors lamented that not much was being done, although the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) did claim they were spraying insecticides and “ doing our best to reduce monsoon-related diseases.”

However, in their daily report on 3 June, the BMC also issued an advisory on the “rise in cases like monsoon related diseases in addition to coronavirus illness.”

In fact, the BMC doctor quoted in the earlier FIT also noted an immediate update.

BMC doctor“We were told at all patients who come with fever have to be tested for dengue, malaria, typhoid and COVID-19.”

Also Read: ‘Crisis Waiting to Happen’: Can Mumbai Handle COVID-19 & Monsoons?

BMC advisory“All citizens are requested not to ignore any fever and not to self-medicate. Watch for any symptoms for next 7 to 10 days. If any symptoms appears like fever with chills, joint pains, rashes, cough, breathlessness, diarohea, vomiting, sore throat,jaundice, then immediately visit nearby dispensary or inform the Community health Volunteer or consult your doctors.”

Currently, every fever case is assumed to be a case of suspected coronavirus - although it is a common symptom of monsoon-related illnesses too.

Dr SP Kalantri, Medical Superintendent of Kasturba Hospital and MGIMS, Wardha, Maharashtra told FIT that the “diagnosis of fever in India has always been a challenge due to the five diseases that account for most cases of “acute undifferentiated fevers” between June and September: malaria, dengue fever, scrub typhus, typhoid fever, and leptospirosis. Health systems have a limited capacity to cope with these fevers. This year, with COVID-19 added to the fever syndromes, distinguishing these diseases shall become even more difficult.”

Also Read: ‘Crisis Waiting to Happen’: Can Mumbai Handle COVID-19 & Monsoons?