About 20 kids admitted to pvt hosp in city with fever
KOLKATA/DARJEELING: Number of children affected with viral fever is on the rise in the city with nearly 20 patients undergoing treatment at a private hospital for children at Park Circus.
According to sources, around 8 children have been put in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital as their health deteriorated. It was learnt that many children had been infected with viral fever in the past two to three weeks and most of them were from the city and outskirts.
Meanwhile, a 6-year-old died of suspected pneumonia at Jalpaiguri district hospital on Tuesday morning. More than 100 children were admitted at the hospital with similar symptoms. The victim, Kaveri Rai, was a resident of Mekhligunj, Cooch Behar. She had been suffering from fever since the past few days. On Sunday, she was admitted to the Mekhligunj hospital. As her condition became worse, she was referred to the Jalpaiguri District Hospital on Monday.
At 5 am on Tuesday, she passed away. Jyotish Chandra Das, Acting CMOH, stated: "She had been admitted in a critical condition. She had high fever and breathing trouble. Tests, including x-ray of the lungs, had been conducted."
On Tuesday, the number of children admitted to the Jalpaiguri district hospital stood at 102. Swab and blood samples for conducting Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue and Chickungunia tests had been sent to the School of Tropical Medicine. Amid Covid pandemic, a rise in the cases of viral fever has become a major cause of concern for the doctors because the children are involved. Some children are undergoing treatment at Dr BC Roy Children Hospital with fever.
These children have been mostly complaining of fever accompanied by cough and cold, abdomen pain and vomiting. According to the preliminary investigation, the doctors assume that these children are mostly infected with the viral fever. During the rainy season, people are often infected with influenza virus. The incident has, however, triggered panic among some as a pandemic situation is going on and Covid symptoms are similar with that of viral fever. The city doctors have, however, suggested not to panic. "One can complain about fever, cough, body aches, and throat sore in case of viral fever. If one develops respiratory distress, he or she must consult a doctor. If the situation persists for long, it can turn into pneumonia," said Dr Gopeswar Mukherjee, a senior pathologist in the city. A team from the Health department visited the Jalpaiguri District hospital. A state-level team of experts was also formed to see the state-wide situation.
