PESHAWAR: With the cold and dry weather, influenza cases have increased in the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which led to hospitals being full to the brim. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has stated that a population of 30 to 40 percent in the province is infected with influenza annually, and the majority of cases are from the rural areas.
This year, hospitals are crowded with patients with colds, coughs, asthma, and chronic respiratory disease. Both adults and children are victims of seasonal diseases, and the trend of cases has risen considerably.
Health specialists confirmed that influenza is one of the viral infections that are accompanied by fever, cough, and sneezing symptoms which can be transmitted through these ways. The influenza virus in this situation becomes much more active than usual and hence it is more likely to be infected with people already infected with such viruses.
Professor Dr. Muhammad Zafar, a chest disease specialist, told local news channel that the absence of rain has made the weather very dry which in turn, has led to an increase in influenza and other respiratory problems such as asthma and pneumonia. It is the children and elderly people who have been the majority of patients going to hospitals.
Experts suggest that immunization is a must for those persons who have a weak immune system as a single isolation not only guards against seasonal illnesses but also lowers the risk of further complications caused by the severity of winter.
