Many Kolkatans are down with respiratory tract infections, doctors have said. Congestion, irritation in the nose, sore throat and cough are some of the symptoms of the infections.
Fluctuations in temperature are to be blamed, doctors said, warning that next few days or weeks could see a further rise in the incidence of respiratory tract infections.
Air pollution, too, is a contributing factor, the doctors said.
“I had a runny nose three or four days back, along with an irritation in the airways. A day later, a chest congestion developed and a cough has persisted since,” said a south Kolkata resident.
Amitabha Saha, a critical care expert, said temperature fluctuations have led to an increased activity of viruses. “Viruses become more active when temperatures keep fluctuating. That is why there is always a rise in the incidence of viral infections when seasons change,” he said.
The city has experienced a sudden rise in the mercury over the last fortnight. The maximum temperature recorded on Saturday was 26.4 degrees Celsius, which was one degree above normal.
The minimum temperature on Saturday was 17.5 degrees Celsius, 3.5 notches above normal.
Many Kolkatans complained they had to switch on the air-conditioner in their cars during the day and even had to switch on the fan at home for some time at night.
“Runny nose, cough, red eyes, congestion and sore throat are the most common symptoms (of viral infections in the respiratory tract). About 50 per cent of such patients are also running a temperature,” said Saha, head of critical care at AMRI Hospitals, Mukundapur.
Saha said nearly 40 per cent of patients at his clinic are suffering from those symptoms.
Chandramouli Bhattacharya, an infectious disease specialist at Peerless Hospital, said air pollution, a cause of concern in Kolkata in the winter months, impacts people with allergic problems.
“There is a flare-up of symptoms like sneezing and coughing. Pollutants also weaken the defence mechanism of the respiratory tract and make people more vulnerable to attacks from seasonal viruses,” said Bhattacharya.
Quite a few of the patients at his clinic are complaining of these problems.
Children, too are suffering. Apurba Ghosh, a paediatrician, said most children down with viral infections are recovering within a few days. “The condition of only a few is turning serious,” said Ghosh, director of Institute of Child Health.
Doctors suggested that the elderly and those with existing illnesses should be kept away from others in the family who show similar symptoms. “Protect those who are especially vulnerable such as children, elderly, pregnant women and those with existing illnessess,” said a doctor.