Seasonal Flu: Doctors appeal people not to panic

Srinagar, March 13: Doctors in Kashmir on Monday asked people to not panic over a flu epidemic, saying that the rise in the number of children with upper respiratory tract infections is due to seasonal influenza.
Consultant Paediatrician, GMC Srinagar, Dr Suhail Naik said that flu has once again gripped the valley and a large number of children are suffering from Flu-like Illness (FLI). He appealed people not to panic as this is only the seasonal flu and not Swine flu.
He said seasonal flu is a viral infection of the respiratory tract caused by an influenza B virus. “Symptoms can include fever, headache, runny nose, sore throat, or cough and chest congestion. Every year there is a period of time where there are outbreaks of the flu, what we call as seasonal flu,” he said.
“Flu season generally occurs during the fall, winter and early spring. Current peak in seasonal flu is due to the opening of schools after winter break and this viral infection easily spreads from child to child. This seasonal flu is due to influenza B and is not swine flu or life-threatening,” Dr Naik said.
He advised people to take rest, take lot of fluids, soups to kids and need-based paracetamol.
“There are few patients who are at higher risk of developing complications due the flu. They are young children less than one year, pregnant women, older adults age more than 65, and people with long-term illnesses like diabetes, chronic kidney failure, cancers or with impaired immune systems that make it hard to fight infection,” he said.
He said in some cases, particularly older people, people with obesity, and other comorbidities (like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic renal and liver disease etc.), as well as pregnant women may suffer from a more severe manifestation of these diseases requiring hospitalization.
Dr Naik said there is a need to raise community awareness regarding adherence to respiratory and hand hygiene like covering one’s mouth and nose with tissue/elbow when coughing or sneezing, avoiding spitting in public places, promoting early reporting of symptoms and limiting contact with people suffering from respiratory illness.
“The infection usually lasts for about five to seven days. The fever goes away at the end of three days, but the cough can persist for up to three weeks,” he said.
Dr Naik said that it is common to have seasonal cold or cough during October to February period, because of influenza and other viruses.
Amid rising cases across the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called Influenza A subtype H3N2 as the major cause of rising respiratory illness in India. Pan respiratory virus surveillance has been established by ICMR/DHR across 30 VRDLs.
Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, a top pulmonologist and HOD Chest Medicine, Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar said most of the patients with viral infection is much like seasonal flu.
“A good number of patients admitted with pneumonia had evidence of viral infection mostly influenza and RSV infections when the danger of another wave of Covid-19 was looming large,” he said.
“These ailments gradually go with time. If one has undergone vaccination, they need not to worry about it as we are used to such things given the nature of prevailing weather this time around,” he said.
The CD hospital has been receiving patients, complaining of persistent cough which continues for prolonged periods extending for weeks after the symptoms of flu settle.
In view of the increase in patients with respiratory symptoms the pulmonologist said since schools have opened there may be a possibility of the virus spread.
“There is no need to panic. The best way to prevent is to isolate the patients having symptoms of respiratory tract infections,” he said.