Hyderabad: Surge in seasonal infections sparks fear among parents

Hyderabad: The seasonal ailments such as cough, cold and viral fevers are back among people especially among children with the city reeling under the grip of cold wave. With many children falling prey to these ailments, parents fear that their kids might contract Covid virus.

Clinics and general hospitals in the city, in the last eight to 10 days, have reported several cases of viral fevers, flu and other seasonal infectious diseases. Many parents are taking children for Covid tests if the fever and cold remains for more than four days.

Even the school managements are in a dilemma whether to allow or not such students into classrooms. "In each class, four to five students or even more are suffering from these ailments. We are asking such students to go back and return only after they recover," said a teacher of government primary school in Old City.

"The pandemic has put the safety first. The parents themselves are not sending their wards to school if they are unwell," informed Pavani, an administrator at a private school in Nampally.

Telangana Parents Association for Child Rights and Safety (TPACRS) president Asif Hussain Sohail said that though the school managements were sending the sick students home, they were doing the same with the staff who have taken ill.

"Children, especially from primary school, hardly follow the norms. They are not seen with masks and are unable to follow social distancing outside classrooms during lunch hour. The government should conduct classes on alternate days for students to avoid cramming in classrooms as the State is witnessing spike in Covid infections," he demanded.