The rainy season is coming and with it comes respiratory diseases, dengue fever and other diseases. Therefore, all residents across Da Nang, especially at- risk populations including children, older adults, those with weakened immune system due to a particular health condition, are encouraged to carry out protective actions against these diseases.

Patients are waiting for their turn to get physical examination for respiratory diseases at the Da Nang General Hospital. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Significant rise in number of patients with respiratory diseases

The Emergency Outpatient Department at the Da Nang Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital daily receives 1,200 to 1,300 child patients, 200-300 patients higher than usual level. It is worth mentioning that two-thirds of these child patients are diagnosed with respiratory diseases.

Doctor Le Van Dung, the Deputy Manager of the Emergency Outpatient Department said, common respiratory diseases among children during the rainy season include influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma.

The most common symptoms in patients with respiratory diseases include cough with mucus, a continuous cough, low-grade or high-grade fever, runny nose, sore throat, and even wheezing and shortness of breath in severe cases.

Parents are advised to keeping their children, especially babies under 1 year old,  warm during weather changes as well as keeping them away from infected adults in order to keep them safe and healthy. Children with mild symptoms of respiratory diseases should eat normally, eat more leafy greens, and drink plenty of fluids. Doctor Dung recommends that parents should take their children to the doctor and take their doctor's advice, absolutely not use drugs for their children without a prescription.

Apart from children, older persons along with those with weakened immune system due to a particular health condition are susceptible to respiratory diseases during weather changes.

In recent days, the Department of Respiratory - Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Da Nang General Hospital has witnessed a continuous rise in the number of patients with respiratory diseases.

Common respiratory diseases among seniors include rhinitis, sinusitis, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia. The most common symptoms in them include fever, cough, runny nose, chest pain, chills, shortness of breath. Without prompt treatment, respiratory diseases can cause serious complications.

Doctor Quang recommends wearing enough layers to keep older adults warm, and disinfecting their mouth and throat twice a day during cold and flu season. Patients with respiratory diseases, especially older persons, should quit smoking as common chronic diseases in seniors include pharyngitis, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis.

Older people are advised to watch for signs and symptoms of respiratory diseases in them. Doctor Thinh highlighted the need for seniors to seek professional medical help at their nearest healthcare facilities when developing symptoms of respiratory diseases and avoid trying to treat themselves to stay safe and healthy.

Increasing incidence of dengue fever

There has been an increasing trend in the number of dengue cases in Da Nang over two consecutive weeks with over 200 dengue cases recorded in a week.

According to the Da Nang Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the city had recorded a total of more than 6,200 dengue cases as of early October 2022, 30 times higher than the same period in 2021. The districts reporting most cases were Lien Chieu (1,600), Hoa Vang (1,089), Thanh Khe (896), and Ngu Hanh Son (697).

Over the past two week, a total of 37 hotspots or high-risk areas of dengue have been identified across the city.

According to the Da Nang CDC, dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is a mosquito-borne infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases, the disease develops into life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, which results in bleeding, thrombocytopenia, and leakage of blood plasma, or into dengue shock syndrome, in which dangerously low blood pressure occurs. Shock syndrome is a dangerous complication of dengue infection and is associated with high mortality. Severe dengue has a higher risk of death when not managed appropriately.

There is no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue and the best way to prevent dengue fever is to take steps to avoid mosquito bites.

Children are more likely to have atypical presentation, often experiencing symptoms similar to those of the common cold or gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea). Children are also at greater risk of severe complications although their initial symptoms may be mild.

Therefore, parents are advised to watch for signs and symptoms of severe dengue in their children and immediately take them to healthcare facilities for having timely access to care and treatment.

Given the situation, the Da Nang government has already urged the entire community and all sectors of society to work together to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, particularly those around the home.

Campaigns have been launched across the city in a bid to kill mosquito larvae while the local authorities are calling residents to actively get involved in protecting themselves against dengue fever at home by destroying the possible mosquito breeding sites such as water tanks, utensils, irrigation ditches and drainages as well as disposable tires and wastes. 

Doctor Truong Van Trinh, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health said that prevention is still the best way to fight dengue. He stressed the need for surveillance activities that include vector surveillance and monitoring of environmental and social risk factors for dengue outbreaks to ensure that increased dengue transmission is detected early and that the response is rapid and appropriate.

The focus should be on taking necessary measures to ensure effectiveness in the city’s control and management programs of dengue mosquito vector. Heed should be paid to increase the public awareness and promote the public health along with larval and adult control campaigns.

He encouraged local residents to stay alert on the dangers of dengue fever, as well as take action to protect themselves against dengue fever at home by destroying the possible mosquito breeding sites such as water tanks, utensils, irrigation ditches and drainages as well as disposable tires and wastes.

Doctor Trinh also urged authorities at local level to give high priority to identifying high-risk areas of dengue in order to enable appropriate measures to be taken to control the dengue disease and reduce dengue infections.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L