A senior official stated that about 1,200 children are now being hospitalised at various hospitals throughout the state. Despite the fact that the state health agency has yet to provide any figures regarding the death toll.
Since Monday, at least five children who admitted with respiratory illnesses have passed away in two government-run hospitals in Kolkata, underscoring the dangers of adenovirus-caused respiratory illnesses, according to officials.
“While three children died at the B C Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Sciences two died at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. One of them detected with adenovirus. The test results for the others awaited,” said a senior health department official.
A senior official stated that about 1,200 children are now being hospitalise at various hospitals throughout the state. Despite the fact that the state health agency has yet to provide any data regarding the death toll.
In a new advice released on Tuesday by the state health department, among others, all medical colleges and hospitals, district hospitals, and subdivisional hospitals told to operate 24-hour paediatric acute respiratory infection (ARI) clinics.
Also, hospitals have instructed not to refer such instances without the superintendent’s knowledge. A helpline has established at (1800-313444- 222). It has mandated that the five paediatric centres created around the state under Covid-19 serve as mentors for other hospitals.
Siddhartha Niyogi, director of health services in West Bengal said :
“There is a seasonal increase of acute respiratory infections every year around this time. But this year there is an uptick. We have issued some directives to the districts and medical college and hospitals,” said Siddhartha Niyogi, director of health services in West Bengal.
Since January, adenovirus has detected in about one in three samples sent to the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED) in Kolkata for confirmation testing.
“Since January, 32% of the samples given to us have confirmed adenovirus positive. December saw a 22% increase. It often falls under 10%. A top official from the ICMR-NICED in Kolkata told HT last week, “We are intending to send some samples for genome sequencing.
According to representatives of the health department, several private and publicly funded hospitals’ paediatric wards and intensive care units are already at capacity.
“There is no scarcity of paediatric beds in hospitals. It is only that the cases have become concentrated in some hospitals. One of them being the B C Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Sciences,” said Siddhartha Niyogi, director of health services in West Bengal.
The six-month-old daughter of Krishnendu Biswas, a resident of Birati in North 24 Parganas. She transported to the BC Roy hospital with serious respiratory issues.
“She is in the ICU. Doctors are saying she has pneumonia. I rushed her to the BC Roy Hospital as it is among the best. But there were shortage of beds.” he told, on Tuesday.
According to medical professionals, adenoviruses primarily affect those who have compromised immune systems. The major signs and symptoms are fever, cough, cold, and respiratory issues.