Amid terrors of an impending COVID third wave and its anticipated effects on children, another fear has plagued the city of Jaipur. Several paediatric facilities, including the biggest government-run child speciality centre-JK Lon Hospital, are facing a bed crunch due to an alarming influx of bronchitis patients. Immediate hospital care is being prescribed to all children who are complaining about difficulty in breathing, read reports.

Doctors have further claimed that a significant rise in this number is being fueled due to viral infection in Jaipur, which is hampering quick recoveries. In this situation of high infection load and longer recovery, many patients have to share beds for oxygen support.

Longer recovery raises concern among doctors

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Several children with typical viral fever symptoms are being brought to the JK Lon Hospital every day, said the HOD of Medicine here. Patients report conditions like high fever, pertussis cough, difficulty in breathing and bronchitis that suggest viral contraction. He also informed that the transmission rate of the virus is very high and the recovery is much longer than normal, which is raising concerns among the doctors.

Private hospitals and child care centres are witnessing the emergent spike of such cases, read reports. Patients from across Jaipur and even from neighbouring districts are being brought in here for advanced treatment. In the last 2 weeks, multiple cases of fever, cough and cold have been reported in toddlers, informed a senior consultant at Fortis Escort Hospital in Jaipur. These cases are taking around 7-10 days to recover and are seldom progressed by rapid breathing, he added.

Cases of multiple diseases being recorded in the city

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While several children are reporting viral infections, some have also tested positive for the H1N1 Swine Flu virus, the official informed. A lot many of the patients getting admitted also have low or no DPT Pertussis vaccination to prevent pertussis, which is commonly known as "whooping cough". This may take up to 2-3 months to recover, the consultant said.

Thus, the task of diagnosis and mangement of the present situation is a challenge right now. It may also be noted that this health endemic in children is happening when several seasonal diseases such as Dengue, Srub typhus and Malaria are also on the spread.

- With inputs from TOI