Flu Epidemic - What To Do?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Flu epidemic - what to do?

Two phrases - "what to do" and "flu epidemic" - are inextricably linked, as they cause in the head of each person a stable association with a threat not only to health, but also to life. According to the available statistics, more than 15% of all people living on Earth get the flu every year. In this case, deaths occur in 250-500 thousand cases.

Even though the WHO has made great strides in the fight against influenza viruses, no one can rule out the possibility of a new pandemic in the coming year. Therefore, all medical workers are seriously concerned about a possible virus attack and urge the population to engage in timely prevention of respiratory viral infections.

Measures to prevent influenza during an epidemic

Influenza viruses have the ability to permanently mutate, which scientists track and study every year. Given the rapidity of the spread of infection and due to the fact that the airborne transmission of the virus dominates, vaccination is the most justified measure to combat influenza.

• The flu shot is a reliable measure of protection against illness during an epidemic. With the timing of when the vaccine must be administered, physicians are determined in each region individually. Most often it is September and October, as it will take 4 weeks to develop immunity against influenza. If a pandemic has already occurred, then a vaccine containing a strain of a specific virus must be administered as soon as possible for health reasons.

• Strengthening the immune system. It is more difficult for any virus to enter the body and harm it if the immune defense is functioning correctly and at full strength. In this regard, immunity should be protected by means known to everyone: give up bad habits, lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, play sports, spend time in the fresh air.

  Compliance with the sleep and rest regimen is also important. Adequate rest restores strength, enables the body to better cope with any infections.

  These simple tips are often very difficult to follow, but changing your lifestyle, a rational approach to organizing your free time is one of the most effective measures to protect yourself from infection during an influenza epidemic.

• Indoor air quality monitoring. It is known that the influenza virus begins to multiply actively, getting on the mucous membranes of a person. The presence of microcracks on them simplifies the introduction of the virus into cells. Microcracks occur due to the fact that the air in the room is too dry and warm, and this is especially true for the heating season. Moreover, these conditions become ideal for the virus to multiply.

  Therefore, you need to ventilate the room as often as possible during a flu epidemic. If possible, you should use humidifiers. The clean, cool and humid air that a person breathes naturally enhances local immunity and contributes to the formation of additional protection against influenza. At home, be sure to ventilate the room before bedtime.

• Wearing a mask. The aerosol route of transmission of influenza virus is known to be prevalent. The more people are in an enclosed area, the higher the risk of infection. Therefore, in transport, in the office, in the store, in kindergarten, at school and other places of mass gathering of people, you should wear a mask. It allows you to retain mucus and droplets of saliva that a sick person secretes, preventing them from spreading into the environment.

  You need to change masks more often, you should not wear one sterile bandage for more than 2 hours. On the street, you can take it off, as viruses live in the cold moving air for a few seconds. During a conversation, it is desirable to maintain a distance with the interlocutor of at least one meter.
• Compliance with the hygiene of the nasal cavity. In order to reduce the risk of infection, it is necessary to rinse the nose after each visit to public places. To do this, you can use special solutions based on sea water (Aqua Maris, Aqualor, etc.), or saline.

• Hand hygiene. During an epidemic, hands should be washed as often as possible. It has been proven that a handshake increases the risk of infection many times over. The patient touches his mouth, nose, eyes, and then with his hands with particles of mucus and viruses on them, he touches the surrounding objects, leaving pathogens there.

  In this regard, during a flu pandemic, it is advisable to wash your hands with soap and this should be done more often. When this is not possible, an antiseptic gel should be used.

• Compliance with the drinking regime. It is imperative that the body does not need fluids. It is quite easy to fully satisfy his need. To do this, you must always have with you a 1 liter bottle of clean water without gas. A regular intake of fluid will protect the mucous membranes from drying out and create a natural barrier to viruses. Drinks that strengthen the immune defense are useful. These are hawthorn infusion, tea with lemon and ginger, rosehip decoction, herbal teas.
• Monitor your health. Severe forms of influenza are more common in people with immune problems. At risk are pregnant women and the elderly, small children under 5 years of age due to insufficient formation of immune defenses, as well as patients with severe concomitant diseases (asthma, diabetes, oncology, HIV, etc.). Therefore, you should be especially attentive to your health for people with chronic diseases and promptly treat any exacerbations.
• Avoiding stressful situations. Stress has been shown to suppress the immune system by disrupting the functioning of all organs. The less a person is exposed to stress factors, the higher his natural defenses will be. If you cannot avoid nervous overload, then you need to seek help from a specialist and, on his recommendation, take sedatives.

What if the infection has already occurred?

• If the body temperature rises to high values, weakness, malaise, chills are observed, then you should immediately seek medical help. Self-medication during a flu epidemic is strictly prohibited.
• It is necessary to comply with bed rest, refuse to go to work, school or kindergarten.
• The temperature should be knocked down if it exceeds values of 38-38.5 ° C (more: antipyretic drugs - which one is more effective?)
• Drink as much liquid as possible. This will help to remove toxins from the body, will prevent dehydration against a background of high body temperature.
• Important regular hygiene of the nose and throat, which helps to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, to reduce the concentration of viruses on the mucous membranes.
• Taking medications for influenza should not be unreasonable; only a doctor can prescribe any medication on the basis of examination and conducting the necessary research. Some of the medicines can only speed up recovery, some really fight the virus, and some are aimed at eliminating unwanted symptoms. The selection should be carried out on an individual basis, you should not spend money on advertised drugs, which are often ineffective.
• If there is a patient in the house, then a separate room should be allocated to him. Regular airing of rooms should be carried out, wet cleaning should be performed, mask regime should be observed. All things, dishes and hygiene items for a sick family member should be individual.

It should be understood that it is much easier not to get the flu than to treat the disease and its possible complications. Therefore, you should not give up the annual vaccination, as the most effective measure to prevent influenza.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.