Flu cases continue to rise, doctors advise caution

Feb 14,2024

Chennai: The flu season that began a month early in Oct last year has now extended to the second week of February.

Doctors say they continue to see people with symptoms of cold, cough, headache, fever and fatigue caused by viruses in the city. In most cases, people recover with rest and medication, but some senior citizens with co-morbid conditions are getting admitted to hospitals, doctors say.

“We see a thick and elongated tail in the flu graph this year,” said Dr V Ramasubramanian, Apollo Hospitals infectious diseases expert. “It peaked in mid-Sept with an increase in COVID cases, respiratory infections, and influenza cases including H1N1 and H3N2,” he said.

The symptoms including cold, soreness in the throat, and fever settle in five days to a week. “In the out-patient unit, we see cough and fatigue in some patients for up to 20 days,” said Kilpauk Medical College Hospital head of general medicine Dr P Paranthaman. We don’t know if there is a new variant. At the hospital, once illnesses such as COVID-19, malaria, or dengue are ruled out, we usually prescribe medicines based on symptoms because viral panels are expensive. Also, in most cases it doesn’t help patients directly as there is no medication course for viral infections,” he said.

The state public health laboratory, which screens samples said it hasn’t identified new strains so far. “In most cases, tests turn out negative although people have flu-like symptoms,” said S Raju, who heads the state laboratory.

Doctors say, the infection seems to spread rapidly. In several cases, children bring the infection into houses and adults take them to workplaces. “People tell us everyone in their office has a cold. While it’s okay for healthy individuals, elderly people and those with chronic ailments must be careful,” said Gleneagles Global Hospitals infectious diseases expert Dr S Subramanian.

“We advise people to rest at home if they have symptoms. Those going out must wear masks and maintain social distancing,” said DPH Dr T S Selvavinayagam.

Source: Healthworld