Chennai hospitals and paediatric centres etc witness a large number of children with cough now!!
Posted on: 03/Sep/2022 9:48:29 AM
The paediatric centres and hospitals in Chennai are now full of children with continuous dry cough!!
Deputy medical director of Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital in Chennai, Dr. Janani Sankar expressed her thoughts about the rise in the number of cases with cough. She spoke about how the outpatient numbers have tripled due to a surge in the number of children with coughs. Since the month of July, the cases have been increasing. Many school going kids are now having continuous dry cough and this could be due to viral infections. The kids have this dry cough for about 4 to 5 days or up to a week. Truth is that parents and the school authorities need not worry about this.
The children with continuous dry cough can be treated at the homes with a combination of warm water and honey. Based on the doctor`s prescription only, cough syrup must be given to the kids. Parents must not give multiple cough syrups to their kids as it could lead to drowsiness and increased heart rate etc. Dr. Janani Sankar was of the view that the schools must allow the kids to attend the classes wearing face masks instead of sending them home.
It was later mentioned by Dr .Rema Chandramohan, director, Institute of Social Paediatrics, SMCH in Chennai that there were many kids with respiratory infections with cough as a major symptom. She added that it might not be a serious issue but was irritating for the kids. She concluded that for almost a month the hospital has been witnessing more children with dry cough.
In Chennai, the schools have been functioning continuously now and the children get exposed to the viral infections easily. It must be noted that any cough that keeps the kids from sleeping in the nights, cough with fever or breathlessness, warning signs of lethargy or altered consciousness must be treated immediately.
The unprecedented rains from July to August have been responsible for the viral infections and there have been many such cases in the last 3 months. The cases of children with dry cough were increasing. This was as per Dr. Ramkumar, senior paediatrician. He added that every day, atleast 20 to 30 children with dry cough visits his clinic.
It was pointed out by a senior doctor at institute of Child Health in Chennai that the hospital has been witnessing kids with fever. Point is that there was no significant increase in the kids with cough
