Child Pneumonia Outbreak In China: How Indian States Are Preparing For This Respiratory Illness
As concerns grow around the world over fears of another pandemic after reports of an explosion of child pneumonia cases in China, several Indian states have issued alerts urging people to stay vigilant.
The governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu have issued alerts and started preparing the medical infrastructure there.
What Uttarakhand government said
On Tuesday, the Uttarakhand government issued an alert directing officials to step up surveillance in the state.
Three districts of Uttarakhand -- Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh -- share land borders with China.
Uttarakhand's health secretary said that guidelines have been issued to increase surveillance in the state.
While the state hasn't reported any child pneumonia cases as yet, officials in all districts have been instructed to keep a close eye on hospitals as a precautionary measure.
"All the district officers and chief medical officers of the state are been directed to make adequate arrangements for isolation beds/wards, oxygen beds, ICU beds, ventilators, and oxygen cylinders for the treatment of pneumonia and influenza flu patients in their respective districts", an official statement issued by the Health Secretary said.
How Karnataka is preparing
On Wednesday,?Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that they are preparing the hospitals for any emergency, but there is nothing to panic about now.
"We have now told all our hospitals to be prepared - to just check the preparations, do some mock drills, see the availability of oxygen, beds, PPE kits and keep a lookout. Right now, there is nothing to panic about; there is no such situation. Till further guidelines from the Government of India, we will wait," he said.
In Rajasthan, the medical and health department has advised its staff to stay vigilant and form rapid response teams.??
Gujarat Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Rushikesh Patel, said that the state is preparing as per the Union Government and ICMR advisory.
What Health Ministry said
On Sunday, the Union Health Ministry issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories, urging them to immediately review public health and preparedness of hospitals given the latest public health scare in China.
The Health Ministry stated that the situation, at present, is not alarming, adding that it was closely tracking events in the neighbouring country.
How states should prepare
Union Health Secretary also wrote to states and UTs, advising them to review public health and hospital preparedness immediately.
"All States and Union Territories have been advised to implement 'Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of COVID-19', shared earlier this year, which provides for integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens presenting as cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI)," the Ministry added its release.
What medical experts say
Meanwhile, Dr Subhash Giri, the Director of Lady Harding Hospital, said that H9N2 virus in China is spreading among children who are born during the pandemic period or those who are not exposed to other viruses except COVID.?
"Their immunity to the other routine viruses that caused the URI is far lower. It includes the immunity for influenza as well, and when the serotype is changed to H9N2, the immunity is still very low in these cases," he said.
"The children who do not have any immunity if they get exposed to H9N2, which is quite a contagious virus that is spreading and added to that where the immunity is lower, the probability of developing pneumonia is very high," Dr Giri said.
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