Low humidity leads to the increased spread of chickenpox and Influenza.
Story so far: In Bengaluru, many students, those below the age of 10 more so than others, have reported contracting chickenpox and fever. With exam season approaching, schools have sent out advisories to parents to send their children to school only after a full recovery. Doctors believe that low humidity caused the spread.
- Dr SM Prasad, president of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, believes that at this time, humidity should be around 40 – 60% rather than the current below 30% presence. The present humidity commonly occurs in the winter season.
- The Indian Medical Association (IMA) advised avoiding antibiotics. They have observed a sudden increase in the patients experiencing cough, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, fever, body ache and diarrhoea. Most cases are H3N2 influenza virus.
Why it matters? Chickenpox is a highly infectious disease that can spread by simply smelling the blisters. The problem is that everybody cannot afford chickenpox vaccines because they’re only available in private hospitals.
- A final cause of concern is the self-prescribed erratic use of antibiotics like Azithromycin, because of which people have developed antibody resistance.