Another Covid-linked death in state; rain diseases rise
Mumbai: There has been another Covid-19-linked death in the state—of a 45-year-old Panvel resident who was immunocompromised with heart disease—taking the tally to 19 since May.
The city on Tuesday reported 32 new cases, all with mild infections. Intermittent rainfall over the past week has also led to a seasonal uptick in monsoon-related illnesses in Mumbai, with hospitals reporting a gradual rise in cases of dengue, malaria and even chikungunya.
While some patients required intensive care, physicians say the current caseload is moderate for now. "We have started seeing all expected communicable diseases with an addition of Covid-19," said Dr Hemalata Arora, an internal medicine specialist at Nanavati Hospital.
A pulmonologist at one of the civic hospitals in south Mumbai said even patients with severe comorbidities along with Covid-19 are recovering. "Any deaths linked to Covid-19 are primarily due to pre-existing conditions. But it is also possible Covid-19 may worsen them by straining overall health like any other co-infection," the pulmonologist said.
There are no Covid-19 patients admitted at Cama and Albless Hospital, said Dr Tushar Palve, medical superintendent.
The hospital created a dedicated Covid-19 ward for women and children a couple of weeks ago. A doctor at Seven Hills Hospital said there are four cases of Covid-19, all are elderly and stable without needing oxygen support.
Meanwhile, Dr Arora said, "We have just started seeing a rise in chikungunya patients." At Gleneagles Hospital, Dr Manjusha Agarwal, an internal medicine specialist, said a malaria patient developed lung complications and required ICU care.
"He recovered quickly."
"But we expect more such cases by mid-June. Dengue has become an endemic disease. We see it all year now, largely due to ongoing construction activities," Dr Agarwal said. A state entomologist said there is surveillance ongoing for monsoon-related diseases and data would be released in the next couple of days.
Civic hospitals have yet to open dedicated fever OPDs for rain-related illnesses. A doctor at KEM Hospital said preparations for separate fever wards and OPDs will begin once cases rise.
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