Patients with fever rising in Ctg, adjoining districts

Amid a surge in dengue cases, the number of patients with viral fever are rising across Chattogram and its surrounding districts with hundreds of patients with fever-related illnesses visiting hospitals every day.

Doctors say they are mostly prescribing antibiotics to treat patients suffering from the fever.

Dr Sanat Kumar Barua, associate professor at the department of pediatrics of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), told The Business Standard, "The condition of children with fever quickly deteriorates due to the fact that various complications arise but cannot be properly diagnosed. If it is too late, it is not possible to recover. Many children are dying prematurely."  

Viral fever seems to have increased after Covid pandemic. People of all ages are having fever, said Nobel Chakma, additional deputy commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP).

CMCH Supervisor Sheikh Fazle Rabbi told TBS that 1,200 to 1,500 patients are coming for treatment at the hospital's outdoors every day. A third of them are suffering from fever. 

"Even if we check for symptoms, only a handful of cases are diagnosed. So, we suggest others take medicine like paracetamol. However, the condition of children and the elderly is getting complicated in many cases," he added.

CMCH Director Brig Gen Md Shamim Ahsan said that currently over 1,500 patients are receiving treatment for fever, cold and cough at the outdoor and indoor sections of the hospital every day.

In addition, an average of over 2,000 people visit the diagnostic centres of the port city to undergo blood tests for fever-related illnesses every day.

Jinku Dey, an official of Epic Healthcare in the port city, told TBS, "We are conducting 250 to 300 blood tests every day on people with fever, and the diseases are not detected even in 10% of the cases. Most of the visitors are patients suffering from fever for more than a week, with children and the elderly being the majority".

However, CMCH Medicine Department Associate Professor Abdur Rob Sarkar said no one is undergoing Covid tests anymore and that is why the cause of fever goes undiagnosed. 

"I think most of them are infected with Covid-19, which has now turned into the common flu," he added.

Dr Md Shakil Ahmed of the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) stressed the need for determining the genetic diversity of the virus present in the body of the patient suffering from viral fever. 

"Otherwise, these viral fevers can take a terrible turn like corona in the future," he warned.

CCC declares 490 locations as mosquito hotspots 

Chattogram City Corporation has identified 490 locations across the city as dengue hotspots, considering mosquito breeding and dengue infection rates, with the highest five breeding places in ward-5.

Confirming the matter, CMCH Malaria and Mosquito Control Officer Md Shariful Islam Mahi underscored the need for spraying insecticide to reduce the breeding of mosquitoes in the city.   

According to the Civil Surgeon's office, the number of dengue patients in Chattogram this year rose to 661 until Thursday, and of them, 12 have died.