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Cough, flu cases among children spike

Medical experts urge all those that have cough, fever, headache should get tested for Covid-19. PHOTO/COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Without presenting statistics, a number of health workers confirmed that flu-like symptoms are on the rise.

Health workers have noted that there is a rise in flu-like illness among children and adults.

Speaking to Daily Monitor yesterday, Dr Sabrina Kitaka, a paediatrician, said they have noted an increase in the number of cough cases among children. 

Dr Kitaka urged parents to take children who present with cough for Covid-19 testing given the current state of the pandemic in the country.

“It is important for all of us to have high level of suspicion for Covid-19 and maintain the standard operating procedures. You know Covid-19 presents with cough, fever, headache and a person presenting with cough should get tested,” Dr Kitaka said yesterday.

Without presenting statistics, a number of health workers confirmed that flu-like symptoms are on the rise.

Dr Ayella Ataro, the vice president of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), however, cautioned that these cases cannot be treated as Covid-19 cases until one is tested.

“What is happening is that currently, we are in the second wave of the pandemic and some of this means some of the flu-like illnesses could be Covid-19 cases but others could be related illness,”Dr Ataro said.

Dr Ataro said the rise in flu-like illnesses tend to occur during colder weather that is usually characterised with rain.
Mr Peter Mukasa, a resident of Wakiso Town, said recently, one of his children developed cough. However, upon testing for Covid-19, the results were negative.

“This time around, we need to teach our children why they need to keep their face masks on, give them fruits and plenty of water,” Mr Mukasa said.

The Ministry of Health has constantly urged the public to observe Covid-19 standard operating procedures including washing hands with soap, using sanitisers and observing social distancing as some of the measures to stop the spread of the deadly virus.