Health experts- Most patients requiring hospitalization are due to influenza, RSV

New Delhi: As India recorded 702 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths in the last 24 hours, Dr Dhiren Gupta, senior pediatrician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said that currently, hospitalizations Most patients have influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). , “As of now we are mostly having patients who need to be admitted mainly for influenza or RSV. So, if we have around 40 patients, at most 15 patients are suffering from influenza or RSV rather than COVID, although when we go for viral testing 22. So that testing so far includes in North India, especially in Delhi, there may be COVID but it is not clinically significant for us,” Dr Gupta said.

Explaining concerns over the impact of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Dr. Gupta said, “The type of infections we are getting currently are a lot of viral infections, especially in the last few weeks. Most often they are either influenza type A, or in some infants type B RSV. “RSV mainly affects young children under one year of age and influenza can affect any age group, making it the main concern.” He also said that this virus becomes more contagious due to pollution.

“In general, because there is pollution, whenever there is pollution, this virus becomes more virulent. So whether it is influenza, but it is for those patients who are suffering from co-morbidities, especially infants and those with co-morbidities and without lethality should wear masks, that is the only precaution we can take and special A triple layer mask should suffice,” the doctor said. Dr Gupta appealed to the public to avoid crowded places as we enter the New Year celebrations. Earlier today, two fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported in Delhi. “The reports of the positive cases have been sent for genome sequencing to confirm cases of the sub-variant, JN.1,” AIIMS medical superintendent said.