In recent weeks, the situation of influenza A in Hanoi and the northern provinces has tended to increase rapidly, especially recording many cases of severe progression.
At 108 Central Military Hospital, many cases of severe complications of influenza A were recorded. The hospital's Department of Respiratory Diseases (A4C) has reported a significant increase in the number of seasonal flu cases coming for examination and hospitalization in the past two weeks. Every day, the infectious disease clinic receives 2030 suspected cases of influenza, while the treatment department receives nearly 30 inpatient cases of influenza A.
Many patients have serious complications due to the presence of underlying diseases. The case of patient N.V (63 years old) was admitted to the hospital with a high fever of 3940°C, general body aches, difficulty breathing and had to be supported with oxygen. The patient has a history of high blood pressure, chronic gout and gastroenteritis, causing a higher risk of complications.
Another patient, Ms. N.T.T, is pregnant and was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of high fever, body aches and a lot of coughing. This is a high-risk group, so it should be closely monitored both respiratory and pregnancy, and the prescription of treatment drugs needs to be especially careful.
Department A4C also received many patients over 70 years old with chronic diseases, weakened immune systems leading to acquired pneumonia, bronchitis.
Dr. Vu Viet Sang, Head of the Department of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Director of the Institute of Clinical Diseases of Infectious Diseases, 108 Central Military Hospital, said: Influenza A is an acute respiratory viral infection caused by influenza A strains such as A/H1N1 and A/H3N2. The disease started suddenly with symptoms of high fever, cough, nasal congestion, muscle pain, fatigue and sometimes difficulty breathing.
Most healthy people can recover after 57 days. However, high-risk groups including young children, people over 65, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases can experience serious complications such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, or underlying disease outbreaks.
Dr. Vu Viet Sang recommends that people proactively prevent the disease with the following measures:
cover your mouth when coughing, sneezing with a disposable paper towel or a shirt elbow.
Wearing a mask in crowded places and on public transport.
Wash your hands regularly with soap or antibacterial solution.
Limit contact with people with flu symptoms.
In particular, seasonal flu vaccination is considered the most effective measure to reduce the risk of disease and limit complications. The recommended vaccination group includes health workers, children from 6 months to 5 years old, people over 65 years old and pregnant women. The best time to get vaccinated is before the epidemic season, in the 3rd/4th or 10th/11th of each year.
Dr. Vu Viet Sang also emphasized: People should not arbitrarily use antiseptic drugs such as Tamiflu or buy antibiotics without a doctor's prescription, to avoid causing resistance or affecting their health.
