KARACHI, Feb 9: With the onset of Feb and cold waves striking Karachi, there has been a sharp increase in viral illnesses.

This was said by Dr Afaq Ahmad, assistant director National Institute of Child Health (NICH) Karachi, in a statement on Saturday.

He said almost 100 % increase had been noticed in acute respiratory tract infections in children and adults alike in the outpatients departments of the healthcare facilities in Karachi. He added that other viral illnesses like mumps and chicken pox were also being reported.

He said the Karachiites were not usually prepared to live in an environment like that, and one could notice whole families falling ill, with adults and children remaining absent from work and school or coughing during work and school hours, spreading disease to their fellows.

He said that influenza and its like viruses caused cough, running nose and breathlessness and severe pneumonia leading to hospitalization.

The paediatrician suggested patients with cough and running noses should be nursed at home and provided warm and high-calorie nutrients like egg, honey, Qahwa and soup.

Dr Afaq particularly emphasised the need for personal hygiene which, he said, was the most significant aspect in the management of such ailments. Frequent hand-washing of the ailing children, their mothers or attendants, besides proper cleaning of secretion from the mouths or noses of these kids with disposable tissues or cotton was particularly suggested.

He said those children who stopped feeding, were abnormally sleepy, whizzing, or having breathing fast should immediately be taken to hospital. He said affected infants should be frequently breast-fed and special care should be taken to keep clear their noses as secretion not only made breathing difficult but also hampered the feeding process.

He suggested that patients suffering from viral infections should, if possible, be kept in separation He said that patient sufferings from mumps should avoid contact with others and children suffering from the disease shoudl be kept away from school for 9 days.

He said drugs such as expectorant cough suppressants, mucolytics, decongestants and antihistamines were usually ineffective and they should better be avoided. Antibiotics, he said, should be given only when warranted.

He said environmental sanitation should be maintained by cleaning and disinfecting floors and covering dustbins, and added that in general houses should be cleaned with freshly prepared solutions of detergents, disinfectants or chemical germicide for cleaning spills of vomits and urine.— APP