Thursday Brief

With Covid cases going down in most of the states, but there are certain states where cases have not come down. The main reason is that in most of the states after lockdown restrictions are eased, people have started moving out. I have seen many pictures in the media where people are not maintaining social distance and some are not wearing masks. In some of the hill stations of North India, the crown became unmanageable, and the administration had to stop the entry and asked people to go back. The problem is our masses have become habitual of breaking any restrictions imposed by the administration.

Now with the onset of monsoon, there is fear of the spread of monsoon-related diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya. The administration is so involved in the control of Covid, so it is our duty that we should take utmost precaution for these monsoon-related diseases.

Now Dengue and Chikungunya are both caused by mosquito bites, hence one needs to make sure that there is no stagnant water accumulation in the vicinity, where we reside. These are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and the disease spreads easily through mosquito bites.

Dengue is a viral disease, except that it is induced by mosquito bites. It is caused by bites by Aedes mosquito that bites during the day. The same Aedes mosquito also causes Chikungunya. Some common symptoms are high fever, red patches or rashes on the body, muscle pain for Dengue and joint pain for Chikungunya, headaches, etc. For Dengue, you may also feel a loss of appetite, nausea, etc.

The key is to watch out for the symptoms and monitor the fever. Most viral infections may settle down in a few days. But if the symptoms do not subside or the fever continues then you need to go for check-up, and a blood test is required to determine what the disease is.

Treatment

If diagnosed as Dengue or Chikungunya, the doctor will prescribe necessary medicines. In the case of Dengue, there is the possibility of platelet counts dropping and this has to be monitored, for which frequent blood tests will be required. Patients need to rest completely, drink lots of fluid to stay hydrated, and endure to have a high nutrition diet to make up for the loss of nutrients in the body. Water, fruit juices, tender coconut water, electrolytes, or ORS packs can be had at regular intervals. In the case of Dengue, papaya leaves juice can be taken as it has been proven to be highly effective in keeping the platelets count up. Eat more fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables to keep you healthy.

Prevention

Apart from keeping mosquittos fron breeding, one should also ensure that one does not stay out during the early morning or late evening time when the mosquittoes go around. If you are stepping out, even during the day, it is best to apply some mosquitto repellent, on the clothes and body. You could also ensure that all the doors and windows at home are appropriately closed, and mosquittoes do not enter youe home, You may also put the net screen on your windows, if you can not keep them closed, for fresh air and light. You may also use mosquitto repellents at home.

You could also try natural home remedies like spraying neem oil, eucalyptus oil, lemongrass oil, citronella oil, tea tree oil, mint oil, etc. All these can be sprayed using diffuser so that the effect is felt all over the place. Camphor can be also used, as it keeps moaquitto away. To keep your immunity boosted, you could have tea with ginger and tulsi.

I hope this information will help you in fighting these diseases.

Waitig for your comments/views.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

15^th July 2021