What diseases are spread by vectors?
Small animals like mosquitoes, beetles, and ticks are known as vectors because they have the ability to spread illness from one person or location to another. Both at home and while travelling, they can endanger our health.
Vector-borne diseases are a growing public health concern around the world. They are transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas and can cause serious and sometimes fatal illnesses like malaria, dengue, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus. In this blog, we will discuss the various steps you can incorporate to reduce the risk of contracting vector-borne diseases, as well as the importance of having proper health insurance plans in place to protect yourself and your family.
Currently, the fastest-spreading vector-borne disease in the world is dengue, a viral virus spread by mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes frequently rest in dimly lit settings, and the dengue mosquito lays its eggs on the walls of containers filled with water (e.g. under beds and behind curtains).
Prevent mosquito bites with precautions:
- By removing trash from yards and emptying water-holding containers like tyres, abandoned drums, exposed water storage containers, blocked gutters, and overturned coconut shells, you can reduce mosquito breeding areas.
- Once a week, clean and empty the water containers; if they cannot be emptied, get in touch with the local health authorities to use safe chemicals (e.g. abate).
- When it’s daylight and mosquitoes are most active, wear clothing that covers up as much of your skin as possible (dengue mosquitoes bite during dawn and dusk).
- Apply repellents to the skin that is exposed.
- Household pesticide aerosol products, mosquito coils, or other insecticide vaporisers may help lessen biting activity where it occurs indoors.
- To prevent night-biting mosquitoes that spread lymphatic filariasis, upgrade your home with mosquito-proof wire mesh or sleep under a mosquito net.
Importance of having proper health insurance
Having proper health insurance plans in place can bring about peace of mind and financial protection in the event of a vector-borne disease. A good health insurance policy should provide coverage for diagnostic tests, medical treatment, hospitalisation, and any other related expenses.
It is important to review your family’s health insurance plans and ensure that it covers the cost of testing and treatment for vector-borne diseases, as well as any associated costs such as travel, lodging, and meals. Some health insurance policies may also provide coverage for preventive measures such as vaccinations.
In addition to comprehensive health insurance policies, it is also worth considering purchasing a top-up plan or super top-up health insurance. These plans are designed to supplement your existing health insurance policy and provide additional financial protection in the event of a costly medical treatment or hospitalisation.
Top-up health insurance is a type of health insurance policy that kicks in once the sum insured under your main policy is exhausted. For example, if your main health insurance policy has a sum insured of Rs. 5 lakhs and the cost of your medical treatment is Rs. 6 lakhs, your top-up plan would cover the additional Rs. 1 lakh.
A super top-up plan, on the other hand, provides coverage for all your hospitalisation expenses above a certain threshold, regardless of how many times you have been hospitalised in a year. A health insurance premium calculator can be used to calculate the estimate of premium costs.
Both top-up plans and super top-up plans can provide valuable additional financial protection and help ensure that you are not left with large out-of-pocket expenses in the event of a medical emergency. These health insurance top-up plans are typically more affordable than comprehensive health insurance policies, making them a cost-effective way to enhance your existing health insurance coverage.
Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms, and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.
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