With increase in the number of dengue cases being reported amid the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Haryana is facing a tough challenge.
Even as the State has around 20,000 active cases of Covid-19, dengue cases too have steadily increased from Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat, Bhiwani and other parts of the State. Both Covid-19 and dengue have symptoms such as high fever, headache and body pain. Till September 12, a total of 33 confirmed dengue cases were reported in the State but the number of such cases increased to 68 till September 24.
Talking to ‘The Pioneer’ over the phone, Haryana Director General of Health Services Dr Suraj Bhan Kamboj said that so far, no co-infection of dengue and Covid-19 cases has been reported from any part of the State. The Dengue test is being done free of cost in government laboratories and in all 27 Dengue Testing Labs are presently functional. In addition, dengue sampling has also started at Flu corners for suspected Dengue cases in district Bhiwani and Rohtak as mostly cases are reported from these districts. He further said that most cases of Covid-19 and dengue are asymptomatic (about 80 per cent), and in a setting of co-infection one disease might enhance the severity of the other.
“As Doctors often find it difficult to differentiate between the two diseases, we have formed a set of protocols to help them. A new protocol has been developed to help medical professionals distinguish between Covid-19 and dengue, as both have similar symptoms. The protocols will also assist doctors to treat patients diagnosed with both the diseases effectively," he added..
When contacted, Dr Usha Gupta, director, Haryana Health services said that about 1,158 Dengue tests have been conducted in the State by the first week of September, 2020 apart from identifying dedicated beds for Dengue patients. Mosquito proofing of wards and beds is being done in Civil Hospitals. So far, 68 dengue cases have been reported from different parts of the State, which include 29 from Faridabad and 14 from Bhiwani.
“Instructions have been issued to the authorities concerned in Gurugram, Bhiwani and others to ensure dengue cases do not increase in their districts. Moreover, Senior Health officers have been monitoring the prevalence Dengue effectively. To prevent mortality due to Dengue, new initiative i.e. the provision of free Single Donor Platelets (SDP) has been made for dengue patients admitted in Government Hospitals as some dengue patients with severe thrombocytopenia requires SDP for immediate recovery,” she added.
Gupta further said that disease incidence is monitored on a daily basis and a vigil has been kept on the trend of dengue and other vector borne diseases. The Dengue situation is well under control in the State despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation. She said, “We appeal to the general public to take up house-hold level activities to prevent mosquito breeding. For example, every Sunday should be considered as Drying Day i.e. emptying of water containers and check other probable mosquito breeding sites like cooler, overhead tanks, drum, discarded utensils, cups, bottles, tyres, pots, fridge tray etc., wear full sleeve clothes and use of mosquito repellents should be done.”
Meanwhile, rising cases of dengue amid Covid-19 in Gurugram is posing a challenge to the district Health Department. The contagion of Covid-19 continued to report the highest number of 18,814 Covid-19 cases and second highest, 167 casualties in Gurugram district where maximum 29 out of 68 dengue cases have been reported.
When contacted, Gurugram district health officers agreed that dengue was a challenge, especially when they were fighting Covid-19. “We held a meeting with all stakeholders to discuss steps to check dengue. Apart from municipal corporation teams that are also working on checking dengue, we have also constituted teams comprising two members each that have an assistant malaria officer (AMO). They have started visiting each sub-division for checking. Apart from that, we have divided the city into two parts and have deputed male supervisors and multi-purpose health workers, who will monitor the high risk areas,” an official said.
He further said that the multi-purpose health workers and breeding checkers have been deputed to survey high risk areas from where cases are coming. They will search for the source of infection and work on source reduction. “Officials will check breeding of mosquitoes by using larvicides. They have also started checking coolers and would ensure that water is not accumulated in the city,” he said.
A senior Government Health officer said that most people with dengue and Covid-19 could have mild illness and can recover at home; symptoms usually last a few days, and people tend to feel better after a week. However, both dengue and Covid-19 can cause severe illness that can result in death. The clinical management for people who develop severe illness with either of these two diseases is quite different, often requiring hospital-based care. Anyone of any age can develop severe illness with dengue or Covid-19. Both infections are more likely to cause complications in adults with underlying chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
He further said, “Both the viral diseases do not have any specific antiviral drug or vaccine and therefore treatment depends on clinical conditions and symptoms. Both Covid-19 and dengue have unpredictable clinical courses and both generally require hospital monitoring for management.
Most hospitals are busy managing Covid-19 and very little window is open for tackling another disease outbreak. Besides diagnostic and treatment challenges there is “limited experience” in tackling such situations and the “paucity of medical literature on management of such co-infection cases has kept everyone in dark.”