This part of the series on analysing health-related Google searches in India in 2022 focuses on India’s capital, New Delhi.

2022 began in Delhi with an explosion of fresh COVID-19 infections triggered by Omicron virus. The wave abated in March and ever since the national capital has managed to steer clear of the new mutants. But as revealed by Google Trends, pockets of Delhi silently battled some diseases while the attention remained focussed on the fallout of the pandemic

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Booster doses

On January 10, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India announced open registrations for booster doses for the first time. Within five days, 107,946 Delhites administered doses. This was when the Google search trend for booster doses reached its peak during January 9 to 15.

Booster Dose

The trend has now declined by 97 percent. A total of 3,331,305 people have administered precautionary doses in Delhi so far. According to Mohfw data, 12,366,524 people are yet to take booster doses in Delhi.

Search for Montelukast

Montelukast is an FDA approved drug for treating mild symptoms of asthma. It is also recommended by physicians during seasonal allergies, such as sneezing, itchiness, and a blocked or runny nose.

Montelukast

The possible reasons for this could be the online search for medicines by people suffering from persistent COVID like symptoms, the common cold, and allergies due to the degraded air quality of the capital.

Hernia

The average search rate of hernia in Delhi in 2022 has continued to be at an all-time high throughout the year.

If we look at the search trend, searches for hernia suddenly jumped high between February 27 to March 5 when birth of a preterm baby with a severe case of hernia was reported on February 24, 2022. The girl had just turned a month old when she developed a swelling in the groin area, which was later diagnosed as inguinal hernia.

Hernia

The likelihoodof developing an inguinal hernia in adults increases with age. It is the most prevalent in people between the ages of 75 and 80. Similarly, children between the ages of 0 and 5 are most likely to develop disease. Infants with prematurity are also more likely to develop it.

Tomato Flu

Tomato fever or flu, is a viral infection caused by coxsackievirus A-6 and A-16. The first cases were diagnosed in children below 5 years of age in Kerala on May 6, 2022. During May 8 to 14, 2022, Delhites’ curiosity about the first Tomato flu case in India can be observed from their Google searches.

Tomato flu

The search rate reached its peak popularity during August 21 to 27 when the first case of Tomato flu was reported in Haryana on August 24, 2022. According to the Union health ministry more than 82 children under 5 years were affected due to the disease by the end of July, 2022.