PUNE: The coronavirus scare has forced people to stay away from home remedies used to cure cough, cold and fever for years. With the slightest symptom of cough or cold, people have started visiting the nearby hospitals or family doctors. 
 
Till the beginning of this month, cough, cold and fever seemed to be very common and people would resort to multiple home remedies such as ginger tea in case of cold, tulsi leaves etc or would buy counter medicines from the medical shops without a doctor’s prescription. 

Dr Vilas Shirhattikar, general physician, Shivajinagar Gaothan said, “Earlier, people would hardly visit us for normal cold, cough and fever. However, since the number of positive coronavirus cases has increased, people have started visiting the doctors in large numbers.”

Prathamesh Gujar, a labourer in Bhosale Nagar, said, “After one year, I have visited a hospital. Earlier, whenever I had a cold, cough or normal fever I used to opt for home remedies.”

Gujar further said that Ginger tea, salt water gargle and hot water steam used to be his options.

Dr Anil Gugale, a gynaecologist in Old Sangvi, said, “Due to the shut down across the city, we have advised our patients to stay at home. However, now people who have even common cold, cough and fever are visiting us.”

Shivshankar Naikwade, a resident of Kondhwa, said, “My 62-year-old father used to stay away from the hospital even in this age, but when he got a fever last week, we immediately admitted him to a hospital and even he did not refuse because of coronavirus scare.”