Persons Cautioned Against Rushing to Emergency Departments with Mild Dengue Symptoms

To help combat overcrowding at the island’s public health facilities, persons are being cautioned against rushing to emergency departments with only mild symptoms of dengue fever.

On September 23, a dengue outbreak was declared in Jamaica. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, there are 1,117 presumed, suspected and confirmed local cases.

Speaking during Wednesday’s (October 4) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, said the fever can be controlled using home remedies.

“Ensure that you get adequate rest [and] hydration [and] ensure that you keep up with your nutrition,” she said.

The CMO pointed out that most people contracting the virus who adhere to this advice, “recover within five to seven days”.

Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie noted, however, that there are warning signs that will indicate that a person is going to experience severe dengue.

“The warning signs tend to be that after the fever has settled, you continue to have severe symptoms. These are very important signs that mean that you need to seek medical advice and you should either see your general practitioner [or] you can visit the health centre, and if the symptoms are more severe, then you must go to the emergency department,” she advised.

“We really do want to caution people, though, about everybody rushing to the emergency department when they only have mild symptoms. At this time, we’re not only seeing an overload from persons with viral illnesses but this time of the year we tend to have more persons coming in with uncontrolled non-communicable diseases and the complications thereof,” the CMO informed.

She also appealed to persons to collect their relatives who have been discharged from hospitals, to further assist with alleviating overcrowding.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie reiterated that if medication has to be used to treat dengue symptoms, persons should use paracetamol or medication containing acetaminophen.

She emphasised that they should avoid using aspirin, diplofenac, ibuprofen or any of the medications or pain relievers which are known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.