Kolkata: a sharp decline in flu vaccination for children and adults since the pandemic began in 2020 has caused a more frequent and severe flu epidemic and one now went berserk in the city, say doctors who expect a third covid wave to attack the half months.
Mortality opportunities are higher for those who are shocked by Covid and flu, experts warn.
“Since March 2020, people have limited their visit to hospitals and doctors and flu vaccination has fallen.
But it is necessary for children and parents to cut the threat of double viral attacks that can be fatal,” said the Santanu Ray pediatrician.
He added that before the pandemic, 50% of kolkata children and 20% of senior citizens would receive the Jab Flu.
This now almost stops, causing exponential growth in the case of flu.
This is a temperature fluctuation that often causes a surge in viral diseases and vectors to be transmitted, say experts.
High-grade virus fever and ordinary colds triggered Covid’s worries because of overlapping symptoms and sent people to run to complete the RT-PCR test.
“We have seen a marginal increase in the number of Covid tests in our hospital.
But the positive percentage of Covid remains around 5%.
So, it can be assumed that most suffer from influenza,” said Peerless Hospital Microbiologist Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhuri, added that it was difficult to Identify rhinoceros viruses, human meta-pneumo viruses and influenza viruses except tests are carried out.
“Many completes the Covid test but the test to determine influenza is rare because it is easily cured and the test is expensive,” he said.
Children’s score has been shocked by the persistent cough for the past two weeks and was forced to undergo a Covid test, said the child doctor Santanu Ray.
“In some cases coughing with fever and respiratory pressure.
Those who have a history of respiratory diseases such as asthma suffer more.
Children are more vulnerable because of their low immunity but few are tested positive Covid,” Ray said.
The general virus triggers similar symptoms that recede within 3-5 days, Chaudhuri said.
One symptom that can distinguish Covid from other viral infections is the running nose, he said.
“Covid patients lost sense of smell but rarely have colds.
They tend to have a dry cough to start, even though the nose is a common clogged.
Influenza and covid patients may have high temperatures but in the first case, fever tends to be lower,” Chaudhuri added.
According to the Internal Medicine Consultant of Arindam Biswas, it was recommended for those above 65 to get an annual influenza Jab.
“Those above 50 with comorbidity such as heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease must also take Jab.
But because of a pandemic, very few who take shots.
This increases the risk of their death,” Biswas said.