Amid the reported outbreak of H9N2 cases and clusters of respiratory
illness in children in northern China, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Director Dr
Ajay Shukla advised people to be careful, follow routine practices of cleanness
and if there’s someone who has got this respiratory illness or infection, they
should try to maintain distance from other people.
“I would just advise people to be careful. Follow routine practices of
cleanness and if you feel that there’s someone who’s got this respiratory
illness or infection, since a lot of these cases are viral and they can be
transmitted, try to maintain distance from other people,” said Dr Shukla.
The advice comes after an undetermined pneumonia outbreak in China is
hitting children hard, with media reports describing overwhelmed children’s
hospitals in multiple locations.
“Because we are also dealing with pollution if you’re going out, and if
you can afford it, it’s better you should use a mask, preferably an N95 and N99
mask. Wash your hands and maintain safe, healthy practices,” he added.
Speaking on exercising precautions among children Dr Shukla said, “If
children are going to school, then take special care that they do not have
cough, cold, fever or any other symptoms, and talk to them and ask if any child
in their class is sick, and if this happens, inform the school teacher about it
and if your child is sick then do not send him to school.”
Dr Shukla said the increase in the number of small children going to
hospitals with respiratory illnesses has disrupted the situation in China.
“It’s very early I would say the amount of information that we are able
to access is very, very little. The WHO is definitely very much concerned about
it. And, it is trying to get in touch with the authorities in China to extract
as maximum details as possible.
But so far, the picture that is coming out, is that there is a great
increase in the number of small children going into hospitals with respiratory
illnesses, and in a few centres, they have reported an increase of almost 1,200
children a day which is a huge number and a lot of schools have told children
not to come to their classes inside the school. So, the situation is definitely
been disrupted,” Dr Ajay Shukla said.
“Based on the limited information that is available, a few experts have
given opinions about the increase in infection in children. According to one
expert, because of Covid. And because of the very stringent lockdowns that we
saw in China, the immunity in the general population and the children over
there has been impacted and because of that low immunity, this rebound in cases
is being seen,” said Dr Shukla.
“According to another expert, it’s most probably just a bacterial
infection or a viral infection. Some organism by the name of MIKO plasma
pneumoniae, which is common and not a dangerous bacterial infection is probably
at the root of this illness. This has led to an increase in cases and it’s
basically because of the low immunity as a result of the severe lockdown,” he
added.
Asking not to worry about the disease in India Dr Shukla added, “Not a
single patient infected with this disease has been found in India yet. There is
no increase in cases in any part of India so far, or any part of the world
apart from China. So, all the cases that we’re hearing are from China.”
The RML Hospital Director said earlier 20 to 30 children came to the
hospital every day, but now their number is less as 10 to 15 children are
coming to the hospital. The number of children with respiratory diseases is not
much, he said adding there is no patient suffering from this disease in his
hospital at present.
“According to the very few details that are available, people are saying
there’s nothing to panic about, there’s nothing to suggest it is something that
will take the shape of a pandemic, like with Covid. So, we should not start
comparing it with that. I would suggest that we need to monitor the situation
very closely and wait for additional information before we reach any
conclusion,” he said.
ANI
