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Mumbai monsoon sees spike in viral infections, Covid, H1N1; gov't issues health warning
Covid cases are being reported mainly because of the change in weather. Doctors warn delayed rains could have resulted in viruses floating around; high humidity is favourable for viral transmission
- PUBLISHED: Mon 22 Jun 2026, 3:06 PM
As the southwest monsoon sets over Mumbai, hospitals are reporting a surge in the number of patients with viral infections including Covid-19 and H1N1 (swine flu) cases. Doctors warn that while the active Covid-19 strain is mild, it could lead to complications for the elderly, and people with underlying comorbidities including diabetes.
Government and municipal corporation hospitals have urged people to ensure immediate medical care in case of difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion while waking up and signs of low oxygen.
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Dr Sanjay Mehta, a pathologist at Breach Candy hospital, told the media that his lab is detecting over seven positive cases of Covid or H1N1 daily. Covid cases have started surfacing with doctors finding infected patients in many hospitals over the past week.
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases are also surging, again mainly affecting senior citizens, infants and people with underlying health conditions.
Doctors and government officials have urged citizens to wear masks especially in crowded places, avoid close contacts with the sick, constantly wash their hands and get medical help if the symptoms persist.
Dr Daksha Shah, executive health officer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), told reporters that the Covid cases are being reported mainly because of the change in weather.
Some doctors warn that the delayed rains could have resulted in viruses floating around. High humidity levels are favourable for viral transmission, they point out.
The monsoon rains, which usually arrive in Mumbai around June 10, have been delayed by nearly a fortnight this year.
On Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds as rains are likely to batter the metropolis.
But the rainy season is also a time when hundreds of thousands of people in Mumbai suffer from various ailments. These include Dengue fever (which spread because of mosquito bites), Malaria (again spread by mosquitoes), Typhoid, Cholera, Leptospirosis, Chikungunya, Hepatitis A, Gastroenteritis, viral fever and skin infections.
The BMC and other government bodies warn citizens to only drink boiled or filtered water, avoid street food, get vaccinated for typhoid and Hepatitis A and to wash hands before eating.
A study last year revealed that heavy rainfall accounted for about eight per cent of all deaths in Mumbai during the monsoon season, an average of 2,500 every year between 2006 and 2015.
“These results are consistent with the fact that flood-related morbidities such as diarrhoea are known to strongly affect children,” said Tom Bearpark of Princeton University, Ashwin Rode of University of Chicago and Archana Patankar of Green Globe Consulting Mumbai, in the report.
“However, the much higher baseline mortality for older age groups means that even small proportional increases due to rainfall translate into a large number of excess deaths among older individuals.”
