Admitting bafflement over unprecedented symptoms, medics say patients nonetheless recover quickly from unusual ailment
Most of the patients recover within a few days. Representation pic
An unusual trend has emerged in several health facilities, where patients exhibit symptoms resembling vector-borne diseases, yet their test results are negative. Doctors have observed this trend without significant concern, as most patients recover within a few days.
Dr Monica Goel said, “We've seen high body temperatures, severe fatigue, lethargy, rashes, back pain, headaches, and persistent eye pain.” Dr Goel, who practises at two major central Mumbai hospitals, attends to around 20 patients daily, with eight to nine displaying these symptoms. She noted the presence of cough without signs of throat infection, saying, “During this period, we typically see more respiratory illnesses, but this is a new pattern.”
Cases where routine tests fail to provide a clear diagnosis, samples are sent to NIV for further investigation. Representation pic
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Dr Goel isn't the only one noting this sudden, unusual trend. Dr Girish Rajadhyaksha at BMC-run BYL Nair hospital has also reported similar cases where patients exhibit symptoms akin to malaria, dengue or chikungunya, despite negative test results. “We treat it like any other flu,” Dr Rajadhyaksha said. Viruses can mutate, sometimes requiring further investigation for accurate diagnosis. “Identifying the cause of the symptoms can be challenging,” he added.
Dr Rajadhyaksha emphasised that as long as patients recover, there's no need for alarm. “This is quite common, and there's no reason to panic as long as patients are recuperating. We can’t label every viral infection.” Dr Chaya Kumar, a microbiologist at KEM hospital, mentioned that in cases where routine tests fail to provide a clear diagnosis, clinicians send samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for further investigation.
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