LAHORE – The number of patients with chest infections has multiplied across city hospitals, as intensity of winter grows and weather turns dry,
Pakistan Today has learnt. According to details, nearly 400 patients on average with respiratory tract infections visit emergency wards and outdoor patients department (OPD) of public hospitals across the city on a daily basis. Medical experts believe that the Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV) mostly causes the infections,
which were common with start of winters and grow with intensity of cold. Most of patients were coming with upper or lower respiratory tract infection, causing pneumonia, cough, sputum and flu.
They said that moisture in the atmosphere decreased during cold weather, creating smog, which brings back smoke and caused infections.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Young Doctors Association (YDA) General Secretary Dr Salmaan Kazmi said that number of patients with droplet infections such as cough, sputum, flu and other chest infections had “immensely” increased. “Smoke becomes smog and comes back to lower environment in winters. Allergies also become active during this season and during winters people sit together indoors and when one person coughs, the rest catch it. People should cover their mouths while coughing and cover heads to avoid migraine,” Kazmi added.
Pakistan Medical Society Chairman Dr Masood Akhter Sheikh said that the RSV mainly caused infections, which resulted in cough and increased nasal secretion. He said that the infections were self-limiting diseases and continued for five to seven days and most patients did not need antibiotic cover. But he said that some patients needed antibiotics if their condition was not stable.
He said that parents should avoid taking children out on motorcycles, as they were more vulnerable than adults. “People should avoid sudden temperature shifts to avoid cold and flu and cover their heads while going out at night,” he concluded.
