Viral fever in Lahore has driven a sharp rise in hospital visits, with more than 35,000 patients reporting flu-, COVID-19- and influenza-like symptoms at six major government hospitals over the past seven days. City health sources link the surge to intensifying smog and the spread of seasonal viral infections.
Where patients are seeking care
Mayo Hospital handled the largest share, with more than 11,000 people treated for related symptoms. Services Hospital received over 9,800 patients, while Jinnah Hospital reported more than 1,000. Thousands of similar cases were also seen at General Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Children’s Hospital, according to the same accounts.
Together, the six facilities show how widely flu-like illness is circulating across Lahore’s public hospital network in a single week. The figures cover patients presenting with overlapping respiratory complaints rather than a single confirmed diagnosis for every visit.
COVID-19 testing and medical advice
Sources said rapid testing had also picked up positive COVID-19 cases, adding to concern that several viruses may be circulating at once. Professor Shahbaz Ghori, head of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department at Services Hospital, said newer COVID-19 variants may be milder than earlier strains, but symptoms should still not be ignored.
He urged people with flu-like illness to see a qualified doctor instead of relying on self-diagnosis or home remedies. Professor Ghori noted that COVID-19, seasonal influenza and smog can produce similar respiratory symptoms, so precaution and timely examination matter.
Precautions amid smog and seasonal illness
As air pollution rises alongside seasonal viral fever in Lahore, residents have been advised to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity, wear masks and maintain basic hygiene. Those steps are meant to reduce exposure both to polluted air and to infections spreading through close contact.
Doctors’ guidance remains straightforward: treat persistent or worsening respiratory symptoms as a reason to seek care, and do not assume every cough or fever is “just the flu” without medical assessment.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Lahore ke bade sarkari hospitals mein pichhle saat dinon mein 35,000 se zyada log flu jaisi bimari le kar aye hain. Mayo Hospital mein 11,000 se zyada patients aaye, Services mein lagbhag 9,800. Smog aur mauasmi infection dono saans ki takleef bana sakte hain. Mask pehnein, bahar kam niklein, aur khud davai lene ke bajaye doctor se mashwara karen.
