Mumbai: Measles toll more than Covid in past 40 days

Measles has taken a bigger toll on the city than Covid-19 over the past 40 days, as per health charts. There were four Covid-related fatalities in the city during this period whereas the number stood at nine confirmed and five suspected deaths due to measles. The number of Covid cases reported in the city during the same time was 600 whereas that of measles was around 400. Doctors have asked parents to be cautious and take care of their kids and their immunity and hygiene to prevent spread of the disease.

The city has been fighting Covid-19 since the past 33 months and the situation seems to be under control now. But Mumbaikars are more concerned about measles now with several outbreaks reported in different parts of the city.

On November 7, mid-day reported about the deaths of three children of the same family within 48 hours. This prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to start an investigation which revealed that the children might have contracted measles. The civic body thereafter increased surveillance and found several cases. As per data from the BMC health department, the city saw 17 outbreaks and 90 confirmed measles cases till October. The cases saw a surge in November and there were fatalities too.

Also Read: Measles outbreak in Mumbai: Symptoms, health complications, here's all you need to know

As of Saturday, around 113 children were admitted to hospitals due to fever and rashes. Of these children, six were in ICU, and 11 were on oxygen support. Meanwhile, there were only 11 Covid patients who were in hospital on Saturday, including four in the ICU, two on ventilator support and one on oxygen support.

A senior BMC health official said, "The government has reduced the age of vaccination to six months from earlier nine months. However, the concern is that we have reported multiple cases and two deaths in kids aged below six months."

Dr Fazal Nabi, consultant paediatrician at Wockhardt Hospital, said, "Most measles deaths happened before we started acting on it. Early diagnosis and treatment will help bring down fatalities. One's immunity is lowered when infected with measles and secondary infections like pneumonia, skin and ear infection can also occur. If there are rashes on the body of a kid, the parents should immediately consult a doctor."

Senior paediatrician Dr Bakul Parekh said, "The gap in immunisation due to the Covid pandemic and malnourishment has made children vulnerable. This is the reason why we are seeing a rise in measles cases. Parents must make sure that their children are vaccinated, and in case of any symptoms, they should immediately consult the doctor."