Mosquito nets in demand, prices go up as dengue fear strikes Kolkata – Times of India

KOLKATA: Mosquito nets have disappeared from some neighbourhood bedding stores following a sudden spurt in demand borne out of the fear of fever that has gripped people following the pandemic. A mass order placed by Kolkata Municipal Corporation has also accentuated the demand. Seizing the opportunity, shops have hiked prices.
Some shops in Hatibagan and Gariahat ran out of mosquito nets and had to reorder after they failed to anticipate the rise in demand. “Usually, we sell around 25-30 mosquito nets during this season and have another 20-odd in stock. But this time, the entire stock was exhausted earlier this week. We are now getting fresh stock,” said Dhiren Das, a salesman at a bedding store in Hatibagan.
At the city’s mosquito net hub in Chetla, where shops do both wholesale and retail business, sales are up nearly 8%-10%. “People seem to have suddenly realised the utility of mosquito nets,” said Swapan Sarkar who runs a store there.
Park Circus resident Sneha Mukherjee is among many who have begun using mosquito nets. “I last used one around three decades ago. The only alternative was the suffocating mosquito coil. But after the introduction of mats and liquid repellants, use of mosquito nets ceased. But with fever causing so much anxiety since the pandemic, I decided to revert to mosquito nets,” she said.
Admitting that overlapping symptoms of Covid, malaria, dengue and flu made it difficult to understand what was happening till diagnostic tests were carried out, doctors said people should take precautions against mosquito bites just like wearing masks against Covid.
Nizam Khan, who sits at the familyowned five-decade-old wholesale store in Chetla, said a KMC order added to the demand spurt this year. Alarmed by the rise in malaria and dengue cases, KMC ordered 20,000 mosquito nets for distribution among slum- and pavement dwellers. “We have been distributing them in the affected boroughs with help from cops,” said a KMC official.
This year, 8,000 people across four boroughs have tested positive for malaria, a rise of 60% against last year. Over 60% of these cases are falciparum or malignant malaria. Some areas where the number of infected is high include Burrabazar, Jorabagan, Beadon Street, Rabindra Sarani, College Street, Elliot Road, Entally, Park Circus, Taltala, Amherst Street and Bidhan Sarani. Similarly, dengue cases have also gone up with around 1,000 people testing positive.