Flu cases double at Karachi hospitals as nights turn colder

Flu cases in Karachi have doubled in about a week, senior doctors said on Monday, urging people to take precautions as the weather changes, Dawn reported.

What doctors are seeing

“We have been seeing patients with flu-like symptoms for over a month but their numbers have just doubled over the past week, rising from 30 to 40 per day to 70 to 80 now, with the gradual seasonal shift towards winter, especially the drop in night-time temperatures,” said Dr Irfan Siddiqui, who heads the emergency department at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

He said the numbers at the hospital were only “the tip of the iceberg”, because people usually go first to neighbourhood clinics and reach an emergency department only when the illness takes a serious turn. The rise, he said, is seasonal, and people with weak immune systems, the elderly and children are more vulnerable. Most patients at JPMC are aged between 18 and 32 and belong to the labour class, he said, and a significant number are heavy smokers and drug users. They are generally arriving with severe illness and are taking longer than usual to recover. He also pointed to public reluctance to adjust eating habits to changing weather as a contributing factor.

At Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), the number of flu patients has also doubled in just over a week. “The cases have jumped from eight to 10 a day to 30 to 40. This includes people of all age groups, though younger people aged 20 to 30 are dominant,” said Dr Imran Sarwar, the additional medical superintendent and head of the emergency department. “Perhaps it’s more contagious this time as we are getting three to five patients of the same family,” he added. Treatment is symptomatic, he said, and only a few complicated cases need admission.

The advice

The doctors recommended:

• washing hands frequently;
• staying at home when ill and avoiding close contact with sick people;
• staying hydrated and getting enough sleep;
• avoiding cold drinks and cold water, according to Dr Siddiqui;
• getting a flu shot every year in early autumn, which he called the most effective step to cut the risk of seasonal flu and its complications. He noted that the vaccine is costly and is available only at private health facilities.

Other health stories in the city

Karachi is also dealing with other infections. Read our earlier report on a Karachi hospital being sealed after an mpox case in a newborn and a polio case.

What we know and what we don’t

What we know: the daily counts at the two hospitals, the doctors’ explanation and their advice.

What we don’t know: how many people in the city are affected overall, since the figures cover only two hospitals, and which flu strain is circulating. Neither doctor said that the virus is of a new type, and no official data on city-wide numbers were given.

Why it matters

A doubling in a week at two of Karachi’s biggest public hospitals suggests that clinics and emergency rooms are already busier, with winter yet to begin, and Dr Siddiqui’s remark that hospital numbers are only the tip of the iceberg points to far more people being ill at home. For families, the doctors’ advice is simple: wash hands, stay home when sick and keep away from others who are unwell. The cost of the vaccine, available only in the private sector, remains a barrier for many. What to watch next: any advisory from the Sindh health department and case counts as temperatures fall further.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.