Surge in Dengue Cases Among Children Raises Alarm

The cities of Noida and Ghaziabad are witnessing a worrying increase in dengue cases, particularly among children. As of Friday, Ghaziabad reported 226 cases and Noida 180, with hospitals in Noida observing at least 5-7 new cases every week.

• Doctors are urging parents to be vigilant as the number of pediatric patients with high-grade fever, a symptom of dengue, is on the rise.
• “We are getting more children down with dengue. Similar to the symptoms of adults, pediatric patients also come with a high-grade fever. This fever usually lasts for about 5 to 6 days. In cases where it is accompanied by diarrhoea, the parents must see a doctor immediately.
• Also, if the fever persists on the third or fourth day, it is advised to see a doctor,” warned Dr. Amit Gupta, a senior consultant at the Motherhood Hospital, Noida.

Dr. Gupta also cautioned against the erratic use of antibiotics, especially in children, and advised that antibiotics should only be bought with a prescription if deemed necessary by a doctor.

• In response to the surge in cases, government hospitals have reserved beds specifically for dengue patients.
• The District Combined Hospital (DCH) in Noida’s Sector 39, for instance, has allocated 50 beds in the dengue ward and reserved over 240 beds for dengue cases in other wards.
• “We currently have seven suspected patients admitted at the hospital, while the numbers of symptomatic patients are increasing at the OPD every day,” noted Dr. Renu Agarwal, chief medical superintendent, DCH, Noida.

The situation is no different in neighboring Ghaziabad, which reported 12 new cases on Friday, including a 6-year-old boy and a 66-year-old man from Vijay Nagar.

• The other 10 patients hail from various localities such as Dasna, Modinagar, Govindpuram, Muradnagar, and Loni.
• Similar to Noida, government hospitals in Ghaziabad have also reserved beds for dengue patients.

As the dengue scare intensifies, it is crucial for residents to take preventive measures and seek medical attention promptly if symptoms such as high-grade fever and diarrhea are observed.