Following early pre-monsoon showers, Mumbai has seen few spells of rains since June 11, however, reports suggest that mosquito-borne diseases have already risen in the past 15 days. With this increase in cases coinciding with the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases, doctors face a challenge while tackling both.
According to accounts, on June 6, Mumbai reported 57 malaria cases that increased to 189 on June 19. In the same duration, the number of dengue patients also increased from 10 to 22. In addition to this, Mumbai has also registered its first case chikungunya for this monsoon. This disease is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitos.
It has been reported that usually, medical institutions commence preparations in May to tackle patients suffering from monsoon-related ailments. However, with the rise in coronavirus cases also being seen this monsoon, in addition to the healthcare workers being pressed to deal with the pandemic, the health infrastructure is overworked dealing with monsoon-concerned diseases and COVID-19.
Moreover, these mosquito-borne diseases have similar symptoms to coronavirus includes the likes of cough, fever, weakness and fatigue, doctors have to be cautious when imparting treatment.
However, Saniya Wasim Shaikh, Tropical Diseases Specialist, Masina Hospital in her conversation with Mumbai Live had earlier remarked that the city may see a steady decline in the incidence of malaria in the coming years as a result of public education, awareness, and precautionary measures, as well as the introduction of the vaccine.
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