Jaipur witnesses spike in pneumonia cases, many need oxygen

JAIPUR: At a time when the city is recording sporadic Covid cases, doctors are witnessing lung infections with cough and fever despite the samples testing negative for Covid and dengue.

Doctors are getting tests done for other diseases too, such as dengue, scrub typhus, malaria and even swine flu, but these are also testing negative.

“In two days of fever, some patients are developing acute respiratory distress syndrome,” said Dr Ajit Singh, superintendent, RUHS Hospital.

Doctors are repeating RTPCR covid test of admitted patients, but they are showing Covid negative. Since they are tested negative for dengue, the doctors are calling these cases of dengue-like illness. “The symptoms are similar to dengue but they are not getting tested positive for dengue. All such cases are categorised as dengue-like illness,” said Dr Singh.

The ICUs in some of the private hospitals are running with full capacity. “We are receiving patients with high requirement of oxygen along with atypical pneumonia and viral pneumonia. But, the good thing is that they all are responding well to the medication,” said Dr Sheetu Singh, consultant pulmonology, at a private hospital.

From different parts of the city, such cases are being reported including a retired government employee from Shastri Nagar area, who had involvement of lungs and his platelet count was low. “At the time when he was brought to me, his platelet count was below one lakh per microliter of blood and his lungs had infection. All the tests were conducted from dengue, Covid to scrub typhus to swine flu but all tested negative.” said Dr Adil Aziz, consultant (medicine), at a private hospital.