Cold related illness like fever, sneezing, cough, neck pain and asthma has been increasing among the children as the winter begins.
Physicians said that the children and the elderly people are the easy targets of the diseases because the age groups of people have comparatively low immunity.聽
They said that flu is highly contagious and it spreads from one family member to another and the patient develops the symptoms of general cold and fever along with pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis and even diarrhoea.
They prescribed the guardians to keep their children under extra care during this time of season change.
Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute director Professor Mahbubul Hoque said that that they were receiving additional number of child patient everyday who was infected by cold related viral diseases.
鈥楥hildren ages bellow five years are more vulnerable to cold related diseases,鈥� he said. He said that cold with polluted air also causing many allergy problems.
He asked the guardians not to expose children to cold or polluted air. If needed, children should be worn mask and provided additional care.
He estimated that the number of patients at the specialised hospital for children was growing 10 per cent more than usual time.
The hospital data showed that some daily average of 130 patients were admitted to the hospital and another 1,200 patients were given out-door healthcare in the 680-bed hospital.
BSMMU paediatrics Professor Suraiya Begum said that a large number of children were coming to receives healthcare after being affected by fever, sneezing, cough, neck pain and asthma. Sometimes the cold turned to pneumonia which could be life threatening.
She said that due to favourable temperature and humidity, the virus could spread easily and affect children since they were vulnerable.
Ashraful Islam, a private job holder went to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital from Mohammadpur on Sunday to visit a doctor with his daughter Arifa Jannat, 5.
Ashraful said that, for the past eight days, his daughter had been suffering from fever. He visited a local clinic where no disease was diagnosed.
鈥榃e are worried. My daughter has been suffering from fever for the past 10 days but we are not sure what types of fever is it,鈥� he said.
He said that not only his daughter but also daughters of his relatives were also affected by fever or other cold related diseases.
Rabiya Afroz, mother of Alifa Akter, 6, went to the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute as her daughter has been suffering from cold that turned into pneumonia.
Rabiya said that doctor suggested nebulisation and prescribed drugs.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services statistics shown that so far 19 people died of cold related dieses and 85,469 others have taken treatment between November 15 and December 8 across the country.
