Pune: Self-medication, delayed testing and work commitments that push people to keep working despite being ill are the key factors fuelling Pune’s influenza surge and severity this monsoon, doctors said on Monday.They said common influenza symptoms like headache, body ache, dry cough and high fever were being frequently mistaken for routine seasonal viral infections, prompting people to self-medicate, especially due to work commitments. Against this backdrop, healthcare experts have urged residents to avoid self-medication, get tested promptly when influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms appear and remain at home till they are fever-free.The experts said early evaluation, hydration and close monitoring were particularly important for young children, senior citizens and people with underlying health conditions. “We are seeing an increase in hospitalisations for influenza cases, especially H1N1 with Influenza A. Elderly patients with comorbidities remain more susceptible to severe complications requiring oxygen support. They should not ignore symptoms like fever, cough and body aches and must seek early medical evaluation,” Dr Aparna Kodre, senior consultant in the medicine department at Noble Hospitals and Research Centre, said.She said, “Working-class patients are also arriving at the hospital late, turning otherwise easily treatable illnesses into complicated cases. Despite repeated instructions to isolate, patients continue to go to work, putting their own health and their co-workers’ health at risk.”Dr Jayant Khandare, paediatrics and neonatology specialist at Surya Mother and Child Super Speciality Hospital, said, “We are seeing an increase in influenza and influenza-like illness cases this monsoon, with some patients requiring hospitalisation after developing complications like pneumonia and breathing difficulties… What is particularly concerning is that even otherwise healthy adults and younger patients are experiencing significant symptoms.”The experts advised that persistent high fever, severe cough, breathlessness, extreme weakness or worsening symptoms should never be dismissed as a routine viral infection. “Many patients manage high fever, cough and body aches at home and seek care only after developing complications like dehydration,” Dr Mahendra Dadke, consultant, internal medicine, Jupiter Hospital, said.He said, “We recently treated a patient who delayed seeking care for several days and was admitted with significant respiratory distress requiring close monitoring.”The doctors emphasised that early recognition remained the best defence against severe outcomes. They also recommend adequate rest, proper hydration, hand and respiratory hygiene, mask use when symptomatic and avoiding close contact with vulnerable family members to reduce transmission and complications.
