CHENNAI: Still battling one of the worst outbreaks of dengue in recent memory, health department officials are now also fighting a spike in respiratory infection cases, in the city.
While maintaining that respiratory infection are common in winter, they attributed a slight increase in the number of cases to the recent air pollution that chocked the city.
Speaking to Express, a senior doctor at the Institute of Child Health (ICH), Egmore said, “The hospital continues to receive fever cases. Among the fever cases, 30 per cent are of respiratory infection. The city’s air pollution in winter also might have contributed to the condition. But, a majority of respiratory infections are upper respiratory infection, that is throat infection and inflammation.”
“On Thursday, there were 144 fever cases at ICH, among them 38 were dengue cases. Of the total fever cases, there were respiratory infection cases also,” said another senior doctor.
A government doctor said, “More women and children are affected by respiratory illness because of weak immunity.”
Meanwhile, K Kolandaswamy, Director of Public Health, said, “We are monitoring respiratory infection cases after air pollution levels went up. But till today, there are no alarming cases. Again, about 80 per cent of infection cases can be prevented by frequent washing of hands. Only 20 per cent is spread through air pollution. The infection spreads as people touch surfaces where particles with virus or bacteria settle,” he said.