Amid erratic weather, patient footfall in Delhi paediatric OPDs rise

Paediatric OPDs at many hospitals in Delhi and its neighbouring cities are seeing a rise in footfall of patients suffering from viral fever and prolonged cough, with some doctors saying erratic weather patterns over the last two weeks might have provided a "conducive atmosphere" for spread of viruses.

Many parents said infants are also unable to cope with changing weather conditions.

Delhi has been experiencing cloudy weather and sporadic rainfall for the last 17 days, which is rare during this time of the year. May has been historically the hottest month in Delhi, with a mean maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius.

Officials attribute this to back-to-back western disturbances, weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unseasonal rainfall to northwest India.

Other cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) such as Noida and Ghaziabad have also experienced similar weather patterns over the last several days.

Paediatricians at many hospitals and clinics in Delhi said their OPDs (outdoor patient departments) are seeing a rise in footfall of children, most with viral infection symptoms of fever and prolonged cough, and some with congestion in chest.

A paediatrician at Rainbow Hospital in south Delhi said that many children are coming to the OPD with influenza-like symptoms, and the ailment is getting prolonged in many cases.

"Since March, my daughter is not keeping well, and has been exhibiting viral infection symptoms at regular intervals. My son too is not in best of his health for the past few weeks. As the weather pattern is changing, we get mixed up as to which season we are in, summer, winter or spring. And, sometime we turn on fans, and then it rains and it gets cold suddenly. Children are finding it difficult to cope," said Delhi-based Kanika, a working mother of twin children -- a boy and a girl, who will turn two soon.

Their paediatrician said many children are getting recurrent infection too, she said.

Dr Prabhat Saxena, a Ghaziabad-based paediatrician, said whenever weather pattern changes, leading to fluctuation in temperature, it provides a "conducive atmosphere" for the growth of viruses.

"In my OPD, there has been a rise of nearly 50 per cent in the past few weeks. The viral symptoms they are exhibiting include largely fever and prolonged cough. Some are also coming with loose motion and stomach pain. Patients as young as two to three years old and even eight year olds are coming, but mostly infants are being brought in, aged two to three years," he said.

Asked if weather change pattern has any link to rise in footfall of patients, the doctor said, if temperature is static, even at a high or low level, then it doesn't create much problem as body adjusts, but when temperature changes by 15-20 degrees Celsius, then it provides a conducive atmosphere for the spread of viruses.

May 1 was the second coolest day of May in 13 years when the maximum temperature was registered at 26.1 degrees Celsius, 13 degrees below average for this time of the year, and heavy rain had lashed many parts of Delhi.

The maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 28.3 degrees Celsius, 11 notches below normal, on May 2. It was the third day on the trot when the maximum temperature had settled at 10 degrees below normal during the summer season, which generally sees the mercury soaring during the month.

Dr Sagardeep Bawa, paediatrician at Neo Hospital in Noida, said, "We are observing that children are having more respiratory symptoms. Around this time in May, we see very few cases of respiratory symptoms but this year, the numbers are higher".

"Children are suffering from high-grade fever and the fever is subsiding only around fifth or sixth day. We are observing these symptoms more in school-going children. Parents should teach their children to wear mask, and schools should also make an effort to educate children about mask etiquettes. Children should be kept hydrated and they should not be given antibiotics without consulting a doctor," he said.