CHENNAI: Even as Chennai is battling COVID-19, seasonal endemics like dengue and malaria have already arrived, causing concerns among residents and posing a challenge to health care institutions.
Lately, residents across the city have raised complaints over the mosquito menace, especially in north Chennai, where most people save potable water in pots and drums.
The corporation's COVID-19 fever camp staff say that a few cases of dengue were found in the camps and patients were given treatment. "We have recorded at least five cases of dengue in the past week," says a doctor, handling a fever camp in Zone-5 Royapuram.
Residents in Old Washermenpet, Tondiarpet, Royapuram and in areas like Kodambakkam too have said the mosquito menace has been high lately. To tackle the crisis, the civic body had transferred all its 3500 domestic breeding checkers who were on COVID-19 duty back to vector control work.
However, the bigger problem here is that the symptoms for dengue, malaria and COVID-19 are similar, which would be a challenge for the city.
Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, Infectious Diseases Specialist at Gleneagles Global Hospital, says that the symptoms overlap and there are possibilities of a wrong diagnosis.
"A person may have symptoms of dengue but if he had had COVID-19 earlier and recovered, chances of a PCR test showing that he is positive are still there even a month after the infection. Thus, the person could be taken for a COVID patient but his dengue illness would be missed out," said Dr Swaminathan.
Dr Swaminathan said apart from that, the vector-borne illnesses would overburden hospitals. "Dengue or malaria patients could be treated as outpatients in this crisis. This way, hospital beds would be reserved for COVID-19," he said.
He added that the monsoon season gives rise to infectious diseases and an early diagnosis of dengue is required for patients with symptoms.
Infectious diseases specialist Dr Vijayalakshmi B of Kauvery Hospital said that identifying respiratory symptoms from other symptoms is key to differentiate between the two diseases.
"For dengue, respiratory symptoms may not be there which is not the case for COVID," she said.
Dr Vijayalakshmi said that if mosquito-borne diseases rise, it would be a challenge to isolate patients at hospitals.
"Currently, the city is getting a breather with cases coming down. We have to take all precautionary measures to prevent dengue and similar seasonal infections," she said.
She said that people should keep a check on water saved in their houses and it must not be kept for more than a week.
Dr Swaminathan said that mosquito control work should be ramped up in the city and awareness messages on dengue must be sent out to everyone.