The national government warned in February that this year the outbreak of Influenza A had started early. Now, the Buenos Aires Minister of Health, Nicholas Kreplak, renewed the warning again, while a decrease in coronavirus infections was recorded. For this reason, experts ask to resume care already known throughout two years of the Covid pandemic.
In this context, infectologists considered that some precautions should be resumed, and although they clarify that they should not be as extreme as those implemented by Covid, some habits must be maintained. the coronavirus it would seem to be running towards an endemicbut this does not end respiratory viruses.
“We are seeing an increase in cases that is not comparable to an epidemic like the one in 2018, but it happens to be two months earlier,” Kreplak said.
What is Influenza A?
Influenza A is an infectious disease caused by a type A influenza virus. “Within, there are several types. A, B, C and D are differentiated. Types A and B are the ones that generally cause the seasonal epidemic of the disease that is in winter”, I explain to AM750 the infectious disease doctor at Muñiz Hospital, Gabriela Piovano.
“In turn, the influenza A virus is divided into subtypes. This has to do with two proteins that it has on the surface. one is called H and another call her N. So since there are 18 types of the H protein, and 11 subtypes of the N protein. There the combinations are generated. 130 have been identified“, he added.
“In particular, infections of the strain are on the rise. influenza A H3N2. It’s not the same as 2009, H1N1.”explained, for her part, the infectious disease doctor and president of the Argentine Society of Vacunology and Epidemiology It happened, Florencia Cahnon Noon 750by AM750.
Why have infections increased?
Influenza A first breaks out in the northern hemisphere. Later, as happened with the coronavirus, due to migration and exchange, it reaches the south.
In this scenario, “The increase in cases has to do precisely with the movement of people“, explained Piovano. And he added: “These days there were cold that brought the regrowth due to the activation of the viruses and the closeness of the people. As people circulate, they activate the transmission of viruses.”
For his part, the infectious disease doctor and president of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Roberto Debbagexplained to AM750 that “is possibly due to the no exposure to the virus in the last two years. Was little circulation of the virus and one decreased vaccination rate. We were less exposed and more susceptible.”
“I have been working for decades and we have never seen a flu outbreak in January and February. It may be repeated in June,” she added.
Influenza vaccine: is it useful for this variant of Influenza A?
Florencia Cahn assured that a positive fact that the virus has begun to circulate in the north is that “when we have the flu vaccine it will protect against the strain that is circulating“
They rained adds that “the vaccine is produced year after year and since the variant of the strains comes from the north, this year’s WHO recommendation is then to include H3N2“.
Who should apply the flu vaccine?
According to him National Vaccination Calendarmust be applied for babies. Later, at 5, at eleven, at 15 and for adults. In this case, it is clarified that for people “with risk factors and over 65 years”.
Those that are health personnel and the women pregnantideally during management or during the puerperium otherwise.
“The risk groups are minors, those over 60 and people with cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, immunological disease, the immunocompromised“, he pointed They rained.
In all cases, the vaccination is free in all the hospitals and public health centers in the country.
How can influenza A infections be prevented?
The way to prevent influenza A infections is very similar to that of the coronavirus. It is that, its way of contagion, is practically the same. Thus, specialists consulted by this means highlighted distancing, ventilation, hand washing and, above all, avoiding contact with other people when experiencing the disease or if there are suspicions.
What are the symptoms of Influenza A?
- Fever greater than 38° C, with a sudden onset.
- Frequent and intense cough.
- Headache.
- Lack of appetite.
- nasal congestion
- General discomfort.
- Nausea and/or vomiting.
Can we expect a resurgence of other diseases?
The world is currently going through a particular period. It is that, as pointed out Debbag the shelter that produced the covid-19, and the current opening and normalization, puts back in touch with the population with certain diseases.
Added to this is the fact that many people, prioritizing prevention against the pandemic, discontinued the vaccination schedule.
In this context, the question that arises among specialists is whether a new outbreak of another disease of this type could be expected. And this is how Piovano expressed it: “Anything else? Is anything else needed? And unfortunately the answer is yes. “We could even foresee a massive dandruff attack at any moment,” he said ironically.
“All this permanently reveals that the globalized world is a fiasco. That does not really achieve an order, an awareness of globality. But globality has to do with comprehensiveness, diversity and functionality. That’s where we obviously failed,” he added.
And he concluded: “When there are a hundred people who accumulate the wealth of millions, it is very difficult, then that everything else works with certain criteria. Like gears that would then serve as protection to implement what is known, what has already been lived,” he said.