The month of May 2024 in the Argentina was among the coldest since 1961 according to the National Metereological Service. With lower temperatures, the transmission of influenza viruses.
Specifically, most of the People who have gotten sick had influenza A.
Studies reported by the National Respiratory Virus Network show an increase in influenza viruses in recent weeks, according to the Epidemiological Bulletin of the Ministry of Health of the Nation,
There was an increase from 216 reported cases of flu in the first week of May to 700 in the week of last May 19. That is, an increase of 224% was recorded in three weeks.
Between the hospitalized casesduring the last week of May, 16 detections of people with COVID were recorded and 245 flu cases. Flu cases have been on an upward trend since the second half of April, exceeding 200 weekly cases in the last 3 weeks.
“Today it circulates mainly seasonal influenza A H3N2 in Argentina with a lot of cough and several days of fever,” he told Infobae Andrea Uboldivice president of the Argentine Society of Vaccinology and Epidemiology (SAVE). The flu is affecting primary and secondary school students the most, and also adults.
People with chronic illnesses or immunocompromised should use chinstrap when they are in closed places with other people or when they have to make consultations in health centers and hospitals, recommended Dr. Uboldi.
Since the beginning of the year, the death of 18 people diagnosed with flu (of all types) in the country.
In relation to the detections of influenza virus in 260 confirmed cases since the beginning of the year, 99% corresponded to type A, while type B was identified in the remaining 3 cases.
By subtyping the patient samples, it was possible to learn more about the situation of the increase in cases of influenza A. In 31 samples analyzed, 29 were detected with Influenza A (H3N2) and the remaining two corresponded to Influenza A (H1N1), which is the subtype that gave rise to the pandemic in 2009.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness and is caused by different influenza viruses. Its symptoms are the following:
- high fever (38º or more)
- headache
- decay
- cough
- sore throat
- nasal congestion
- Muscle pain
- general discomfort.
Digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may also appear. But these symptoms are more common in children than in adults.
The influenza virus is transmitted through infectious particles emitted when coughing or sneezing. Therefore, permanent ventilation of indoor spaces with the presence of several people is a measure that reduces the risk of transmission of the flu pathogen and other diseases such as COVID.
The flu has a short incubation period, ranging from 2 to 5 days. It is highly contagious: the person who has the virus can transmit it from one day before the appearance of symptoms and up to seven days later.
In dialogue with Infobaethe president of SADI Analía Mykietiukspecified: “When symptoms are detected, the ideal is to consult the doctor or family doctor to do not take antibiotics unnecessarily. If a person has the flu virus, rhinovirus, COVID infection, they do not require the use of antibiotics. “You should not self-medicate and should follow the professional’s recommendations.”
Furthermore, he pointed out, if someone has respiratory symptoms and has to go to the health center or hospital, “they must go with a mask so as not to transmit infections to others.”
The ideal is to get vaccinated in March and April, before the arrival of the coldest weather. However, its application is still recommended because the virus may continue to circulate in the coming months. The vaccine can be applied to all people six months and older.
In public vaccination centers in Argentina, they administer the flu vaccine free of charge to the groups of people at highest risk of developing complications if they become infected.
The objective is to achieve coverage greater than or equal to 95% in each group of the population at risk. In this way, we seek to reduce complications, hospitalizations, sequelae and deaths caused by infection with the virus that causes influenza.
- Health personnel.
- Pregnant people (in any trimester of pregnancy) or postpartum women.
- Girls and boys from 6 to 24 months of age (two-dose schedule, if they have not received it previously).
- People between 2 and 64 years old who have risk factors.
In addition, it is very important that cancer patients (along with their partners), people living with HIV and transplant recipients, also get vaccinated to avoid getting sick with the flu, according to the Argentine Society of Infectology (SADI).
The flu vaccine can be co-administered with the COVID-19 dose. People 65 years of age or older do not require a medical indication to receive the flu vaccine.
