Dengue Menace: 80 children in treatment at Shishu Hospital
Dhaka Shishu Hospital yesterday gave treatment to 80 dengue infected children admitted to the facility, the highest ever at a time.
In 2019, when the mosquito-borne disease was quite prevalent, 69 children with dengue were at the hospital at one time, said its Deputy Director Prabir Kumar Sarkar.
The number of dengue patients is increasing and children are particularly vulnerable, he added.
Since January, 356 children have taken treatment at the hospital. Six of them died, said Epidemiologist Kinkor Ghosh.
He added that over 58.5 percent of the child patients were from Dhaka North City Corporation areas, 31.5 percent from Dhaka South City Corporation areas and the rest from outside Dhaka.
Afsana Alamgir Khan, deputy programme manager (malaria and Aedes-transmitted diseases) of DGHS, said children tend to have less of their body covered in clothes as they often wear shorts and sleeveless tops, which also make them vulnerable to mosquitos.
She added that the Aedes usually bite the legs of a person.
She recommended keeping children in mosquito nets when possible and having them wear full-sleeve clothes. pants or pajamas so that their bodies remain covered.
She also urged families to get the children tested for dengue immediately if they have high fever.
Early detection and treatment can save lives, she said. Delayed hospitalisation can lead to critical illnesses and even fatalities.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services, four dengue patients died and 278 others were hospitalised in the 24 hours until 8:00 am yesterday.
Of the new cases, only nine are from outside Dhaka.
As of yesterday, 7,750 people were confirmed to have dengue this year. Of them, 425 were from outside Dhaka. Thirty-five of them had died, and the fatalities happened in July and August. Most of the deaths happened this month.
An overwhelming majority, 5,092, were diagnosed this month.
In July alone, 2,286 people were hospitalised with dengue.
At present, over 1,200 individuals are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhaka, and 87 outside, the DGHS data shows.
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