17 dengue cases in 5 weeks put Ambala health department on toes

Seventeen cases of dengue since September 15 have put the health department on high alert. With coronavirus subsiding in the district, health officials are now on their toes to contain this vector-borne disease which is expected to last till November end.

The department has started focusing on high-risk areas of the district and is carrying out activities such as distribution of special nets, besides spreading awareness about checking stagnant water in residential areas, where mosquito larvae are mostly found.

Such field tasks are being carried out by accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) in several areas of the district.

Dr Sunil Hari, a senior official at the civil surgeon office, said the department is active since early September, but then it had to face challenges on two fronts: dengue as well as Covid-19. “The daily count of coronavirus cases had crossed the three-digit mark in the district. This year, we only have registered 17 cases of dengue till Thursday. Last season, the number was 252 and the disease had claimed two lives in Ambala City and Naraingarh,” he added.

“Till now, no double infection case (Covid and dengue) has been reported in the district. But, we can’t ignore the risk as Covid situation is ever-evolving,” the doctor said.

Ambala has, meanwhile, reported not even a single case of malaria this season.

Can expect severe Covid cases soon: Officials

Even as the Ambala health department has managed to contain the spread of coronavirus and logged one of the highest recovery rates in the state at 96.23%, officials are of the opinion that severe infection cases can come up in the winter.

“Despite the highest number of sampling, the infection rate has gone down significantly that indicates that the virus has weakened. But, due to approaching winter season, the severity of infection might increase due to cold Himalayan waves in the area,” a health official, who didn’t wish to be named, said.

“Due to the chilly weather, patients might develop pneumonia that could be dangerous for their lungs and overall health,” the official added.

Till Thursday evening, nearly 1,10,000 samples for Covid test had been taken in the district. Total cases stood at 8,780, with only 223 active cases in Ambala.