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The number of hospitalized in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is growing exponentially and now reaches 840 people. What is worse, however, is that the disease that has forced so many indigenous people to go to the hospital remains a complete mystery.
Of course, doctors have already ruled out the possibility that this is the new coronavirus.
All the patients were from the city of Eluru in South India, and all had negative PCR tests for coronavirus infection.
Additionally, symptoms reported by patients often differ from those of COVID-19. Patients report dizziness, seizures, severe headache, but no cough, shortness of breath, fever, loss of taste and smell.
It’s quite normal for doctors to try to rule out coronavirus in the first place, even if it takes valuable time.
India is among the countries most severely affected by the pandemic, and Andhra Pradesh is the leader in new cases on a daily basis. So far, there are a total of 800,000 registered cases of COVID-19 in the province.
However, the coronavirus is not the reason these people are hospitalized. In addition to the most accurate and precise PCR tests, they have undergone comprehensive blood tests, which confirm that no traces of the virus are found on their bodies.
So what causes hundreds of people to deteriorate at the same time to the point of needing hospital care?
For now, the reasons are a complete mystery and speculation multiplies with each passing hour.
The symptoms reported by patients are often reminiscent of epilepsy with sudden loss of control, loss of consciousness, and / or compulsive vomiting. Among the patients there are those who have suffered serious strokes, and the first victim of the strange and mysterious disease is already a fact.
Medical research also rules out highly virulent infections such as dengue or chikungunya. Both diseases are mainly transmitted by mosquitoes and outbreaks are not uncommon in India, but neither of these viruses is involved. Virtually extinct infections, such as Marburg fever, are also excluded.
The strange disease has another serious difference from the new coronavirus: It seriously affects children. About 300 of the patients who sought medical help were under the age of 18 and reported dizziness, headache, and vomiting as severe as in adults.
It is also unusual for those affected to appear to be immunized against coronavirus infection, because with such a large number of hospitalized, none test positive for COVID-19.
According to Reuters, on December 7, the Indian government sent a team of three medical experts to investigate and find out the reasons for what is happening in South India. One of the specialists’ first tasks will be to conduct a door-to-door survey to interview the residents of Eluru.
If there is good news in the case of the mysterious disease, it is that according to CNN, more than 180 patients are already significantly better and have been discharged.
The results of the study of water in the Indian city have not yet been published. A contaminated water source is one of the first suspects for spreading the infection. It appears that many of the patients drew water for their homes from the same water source.
Poisoning with contaminated food or dairy products are also among the theories. Infection with the bacteria Escherichia coli is not completely ruled out, although the symptoms are not typical of such an infection.
However, what is happening in the state of Andhra Pradesh has also poured water into the mill of conspiracy theorists, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic. There are unavoidable fears that a new pandemic is brewing in India, even before the current one ends, and it is speculated that we are all the result of someone’s sinister biological experiment.
Local authorities, for their part, are urging people not to panic, not to spread false rumors and manipulations, and to let medical professionals do their job and find the mysterious source of the disease in Eluru.
