Like CO.VID-19 Wasn't Enough, Another Fatal Disease Is Looming In India

As the CO.VID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc in India, it is time we worry about another disease that is looming in close.

India ranks top on the list of 11 countries most affected by malaria and in 2018, the country had around 430,000 cases.

With 95% of the nation’s population now living in regions prone to malaria, along with the current burden of dealing with COVID-19, experts are especially worried about how India manages to cope in the next few months, with two infectious diseases at hand.

In controlling this disease, March and April are crucial to deploying preventative measures like fumigation, fogging, and raising people’s awareness.

According to Madhu Gupta of the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, May usually sees the start of the peak season. After the monsoon, in July and August, we will likely see a spike in the number of cases.

Countries prone to malaria have been warned of a similar incident when the Ebola outbreak coincides with malaria season in West Africa. The former disease took the lives of 9,428 people and it indirectly caused the number of deaths by the mosquito-transmitted disease to surge by 900%.

Experts also warn that early symptoms of COVID-19 and malaria are similar, with patients displaying fatigue, fever, and myalgia, which might lead to confusion of diagnosis and treatment.

Malaria is a serious disease that can lead to death really quickly if patients are not treated in time.

Some of the illness’s serious complications include severe anemia with which patients show weakness and drowsiness as the blood cells are unable to carry enough oxygen, as well as coma, brain damage, and seizures.

Malaria is especially dangerous for children, the elderly and pregnant women.

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