The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that there was a spike in the number of common cold cases reported in September, in comparison to August this year.
According to the public health authority, a total of 28,718 common cold cases were recorded during August 2023, whereas the number hiked to 39,481 in the month that followed.
These figures are also higher than the 25,713 cases of common cold reported in August last year, and the 33,854 common cold cases reported in September 2022.
HPA went on to reveal that with the number of common cold cases reported in September increasing as compared to August this year, it is of utmost importance to take precautionary measures against the virus.
Shedding light on influenza statistics, HPA revealed that there was a decline in the number of people tested for influenza symptoms in September, in comparison to August 2023.
So far this year, only 316 out of the 1,712 samples tested for influenza have returned positive.
In addition to this, HPA reported that 10,451 cases of vomiting and diarrhea were reported in August this year, followed by 7,160 in September.
In August 2022, Maldives recorded 3,620 cases of the stomach bug, with 3,533 cases being reported in the month that followed.
In comparison to August this year, cases of diarrhea and vomiting recorded in September have declined.
However, HPA has urged caution from the public to take preventive measures against such diseases.
Some of the precautionary measures that have been urged include regular hand washing, taking more fluids if one catches the cold, only using paracetamol if one has a high temperature, covering one’s nose and mouth when coughing to make sure that others don’t get infected, wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants and using mosquito repellent lotions or sprays to prevent dengue fever.
While influenza and its complications can be deadly, individuals who are 65 and older, individuals with certain chronic medical conditions like diabetes, asthma or heart diseases, pregnant women, children below five and those who have recently undergone a transplant are more prone to getting complications.
