As the levels of the air quality in Delhi and neighboring regions deteriorated post-Diwali and due to continuous stubble burning, doctors in the national capital have reported a 20 per cent surge in the number of patients with respiratory problems. The doctors also said that the current AQI levels may badly affect those who have recovered from Covid-19 infection.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Dr Sandeep Nayar, head of the department of respiratory medicine at BLK-Max hospital, said, “There has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of patients with chronic lung conditions reporting exacerbated symptoms over the past 15 to 20 days because of the changing weather – there were rainy days, hot days, and cold days. However, the pollution levels shot up after Diwali – whether due to firecrackers, crop burning, or vehicular pollution – and we saw an additional 10 per cent increase in the number of patients in the last couple of days.”
ALSO READ: Stubble Burning Continues to Choke Delhi; Noida’s AQI at an Alarming 575
Reiterating the same, another senior consultant of pulmonary and critical care at Indraprastha Apollo hospital, Dr Rajesh Chawla said cases of chronic respiratory conditions have increased since Diwali.
The doctor said those who recovered from the coronavirus or are still admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) will face difficulties in breathing due to the pollution. “Some are likely to see asthma-like bronchial hyper reactivity. Nearly 20 to 30 per cent of the post-Covid-19 patients will suffer the effects. And this will not just be limited to this year but in the time to come as well. The impact (of pollution) will be more in patients with low lung efficiency,” Dr Chawla was quoted as saying by HT.
On Sunday, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria stated that pollution could lead to more severe cases of Covid-19 infection in the coming days. Explaining the same, he said pollution affects respiratory health, especially to those who have lung and asthma issues.
ALSO READ: Air Pollution May Lead to More Severe Covid-19 Cases: AIIMS Chief Dr Guleria
Expressing concern about the possible worrisome situation in the future, Dr Guleria said both air pollution and coronavirus affect the lungs and could worsen the patient’s condition, at times resulting in death.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Dr Guleria, “Respiratory problem is not the only concern during this period. Patients who have a cardiovascular issue, especially those who have underlying lung disease people with chronic bronchitis, COPD, or asthmatic patient also face breathing problems and they have to depend on a nebulizer or the usage of inhaler goes up sharply. So it could lead to worsening of underlying respiratory diseases.”
Delhi Weather
Delhi’s air quality index was recorded in ‘very poor’ category on Monday morning, a marginal improvement from the last three days when it was recorded in the severe’ category. The city’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 385 at 9.05 am, while that of Noida, Gurgaon and Greater Noida was recorded at 406, 363, 296, respectively.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
Delhi’s air quality remained in ‘severe’ category on Sunday because of the large influx of stubble-related pollutants, apparently from much higher effective fire count, authorities said. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the city’s air quality index stood at 416 (severe) at 8 pm that day.
The national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 13.6 degrees Celsius on Monday, normal for this time of the year. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was recorded at 85 per cent. The weatherman has forecast partly cloudy sky for the day with the maximum temperature likely to settle at around 29 degrees Celsius.
(with inputs from PTI)
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