Although the number of chikungunya cases in the city is decreasing, many patients, especially aged persons, are facing tremendous problems of joint pain. Even though they have recovered from the virus, the cold weather is making their joint and shoulder pain worse. Chikungunya began spreading in the city in June. According to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), there were 30 cases in June, 88 in July, 355 in August, 402 in September, 181 in October and only 21 cases up to November 22nd. Dr Deepak Selokar, the Medical Health Officer at NMC, explained that the disease is linked to mosquito breeding. Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for spreading both dengue and chikungunya. It lay eggs in fresh and stagnant water. These mosquitoes take 7-8 days to develop from egg to adult and discarded tyres and water-filled coolers, pots are the most favourite spots of their breeding. The rainy season saw an increase in mosquitoes but mosquito breeding has decreased with withdrawal of Monsoon. He claimed that the NMC had launched preventive measures to control the spread and identified areas with stagnant water and carried out fogging operations. This helped reduce mosquito numbers.

 

However, despite the decrease in mosquito breeding, many chikungunya patients are still dealing with joint and muscle pains. This pain can last from 10 days to over a month and have been made worse by the cold weather. Dr Vishal Patle, a physiotherapist, said that patients are experiencing more pain due to the cold wave. Chikungunya typically affects smaller joints like the knees and shoulders and it also causes inflammation that can feel like arthritis. Cold weather can make this pain worse, he underlined. Dr Patle recommended that patients stay active and do strengthening exercises for their joints, even if it causes pain.

 

Walking and gradually increasing daily activities can help reduce the pain over time, he stated and added that regular movement and exercise are important for managing the condition. He also advised patients to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid sour foods, as they can increase joint inflammation. With the right care, most patients should see improvement within a month, he stated. He also asked the patients to keep their joints warm and avoid direct exposure to cold air as it could make the pain worse.