Flu is more common during the cold season although the viruses circulate all year round, particularly in tropical areas.
Influenza is a tricky virus. It changes the proteins that make up its outer coating frequently. There are different strains of influenza, including H1N1 and H5N2.
A century ago, one-third of the world’s population was infected with the Spanish flu, which wiped out more than 100 million people. It remains the deadliest flu pandemic in history, but experts fear another massive deadly influenza pandemic is imminent.
A survey done last month in Kisumu has shown that there is an outbreak of Influenza A, where the most affected are children, who, in turn, transmit it to the older generation.
On social media, everyone is complaining about the flu, high fever, cough, headache and body pains.
The Nation spoke to Prof Matilu Mwau, an infectious disease researcher at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, on what the outbreak means, what should be done to reduce the spread and who is susceptible to the flu.
Is this year’s flu season worse than usual?
With the country reporting an outbreak, children spending more time in the classrooms because of the colder and cooler weather hence passing the infection to one another, the situation is more likely to worsen. We are likely to see more people going down with the symptoms.
Who is susceptible to the flu?
Flu viruses are highly contagious, part of what makes them so dangerous, and typically affect respiratory systems. This makes influenza viruses particularly dangerous for people with vulnerable immune systems, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly. People with medical conditions and compromised immune systems are also more susceptible to being infected by an influenza virus, but anyone can get the flu.
Influenza viruses may be transmitted through the air, passed from person to person, or spread through direct contact with infected material.
“You’re most at risk of influenza when you’re very young or very old. Young children and babies are most likely to be hospitalised and people over the age of 75 are most likely to die from influenza. On average each year there are about 2,500 deaths from influenza, the large majority of them among the elderly.
What are the symptoms of influenza and when should you seek medical care?
Most people who get influenza actually get it as a relatively mild cold: perhaps 20 per cent get it more severely, with a high fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches.
In influenza, these “systemic symptoms” are much more prominent — high fevers (38°-39° Celsius) that are sometimes accompanied by chills (uncontrollable shaking). Pains and aches in muscles and joints often confine people to bed.
If you have those symptoms within 24 to 48 hours of falling ill, then see a doctor to prescribe an anti-viral therapy. Untreated flu can be dangerous and cause future complications, including pneumonia,” he said.
Pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) is the most common complication of the flu. It may be caused by the influenza virus itself, or secondary infection from a bacterium such as Staphylococcus aureus.
How can I avoid it and what should I do if I get it?
Preventing illness is always more effective than treatment. As well as not going to work when you’re unwell (and encouraging your co-workers to do the same), coughing into your sleeve (or a tissue) and washing your hands frequently are simple but important steps that everyone can take to protect themselves from getting flu.
Protecting yourself against respiratory viruses is as much about hand hygiene as it is about avoiding getting sneezed on.
Make sure your hands are washed immediately before you eat and try to avoid putting your hands in your eyes, nose and mouth the rest of the time. Avoiding large crowds is going to be difficult at university, but avoiding those individuals who are obviously ill might be slightly more feasible.
Getting enough sleep is a fairly obvious way to keep your immune system in good fettle.
There are home remedies that can alleviate one’s symptoms, including taking ginger tea, drinking honey in tea with lemon can ease sore throat pain, and adding garlic to your diet might reduce the severity of cold symptoms.
Taking more fruits, including oranges, grapefruits, leafy greens, and other fruits and vegetables that are a good source of vitamin C; gargling salt water may help prevent upper respiratory infections and reduces and loosens mucus, which contains bacteria and allergens.
Taking warm baths by adding a few drops of essential oil, such as tea tree, juniper, rosemary, thyme, orange, lavender, or eucalyptus, may also have a soothing effect on the flu symptoms.
Treatment
A flu vaccine provides protection against a variety of viruses that affect people and may trigger an infection.
However, there are many strains of influenza and they are constantly evolving. As a result, finding effective solutions to fight against the most serious infections has proven difficult.
Flu viruses mutate and build defences to treatment and vaccines over time, that’s why flu vaccines are administered annually and are typically about 60 per cent effective at preventing the flu,” Prof said.
Still, getting vaccinated against the flu is the only way to prevent infection, reduce the severity of illness, and save lives. Once you are protected, chances are minimal that you will be admitted.
Though influenza viruses are not always seen as high-risk infections, they can be both serious and fatal and are among the most feared threats to global health.
The Ministry of Health has since announced that there will be free flu vaccination for all health care workers in the country.
A higher vaccination rate would not only directly protect high-risk people, but would also increase herd immunity. BY DAILY NATION