• As a result of the heavy rains, the abandoned construction sites have become hot beds for mosquito- breeding

There is an increase in the dengue cases reported in the country, similar to the COVID ones, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera said. He told the Daily Mirror that although more attention was focused on the COVID cases, the number of dengue-infected cases was increasing rapidly. 

Every ward in government and private sector hospitals had four or five dengue patients.  

“One or two dengue positive cases are reported from hospitals daily. Due to the inclement and adverse weather conditions, there has been an increase in dengue- breeding sites,” he said   

“Most of the construction sites were shut down temporarily due to the shortage  of cement. Therefore, the workers attached to the sites had already left, and there is no one to maintain the sites and carry out the cleaning activities. Due to the heavy rains, those abandoned construction sites have become hot bed for mosquito- breeding,” he said.   

“Dengue positive cases are being reported from every part of the country where there had not been a single dengue case before. Most of the abandoned construction sites are the  cause for  the sudden increase of the dengue virus, “ Dr. Perera said.   Therefore, the Paediatrician advised the people to be more cautious of the spread of the dengue virus, similar to the attention paid to the Coronavirus.  

Dr. Perera advised parents to be very careful with their children. 

He added that it was better to identify the disease through blood tests after three days. “It is better to give only paracetamol doses according to the weight of the children until they visit a doctor,” he said.