Rapid progression from mild symptoms
The Emergency Department - Central Tropical Diseases Hospital continuously receives cases of influenza B with severe progression. Notably, most patients are elderly people or have underlying medical conditions, admitted to the hospital in a state of respiratory failure after a fairly silent onset phase.
According to records at the department, many initial cases only show non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, headache, mild fever or transient cough. However, after only a few days, the disease progresses rapidly to pneumonia, respiratory failure, forcing oxygen support or ventilator intervention.
The case of patient T.T. N (77 years old) is a typical example. After 4 days of fatigue, headache and nausea, the family said that she only had a common cold because she did not measure her body temperature. When admitted to the hospital, the patient was in a state of respiratory failure, requiring oxygen. Test results confirmed positive for influenza B, and pneumonia was also recorded on the background of hypertension. Doctors said that old age and underlying illness caused respiratory reserves to decrease, increasing the risk of severe progression.
Another case is patient N.H. H (60 years old, Hai Duong), with a history of diabetes and hepatitis B for many years. The disease started with fever and fatigue, was treated for influenza B at a private medical facility and showed signs of improvement. However, after only a few days, fatigue increased, shortness of breath and fever recurred. When transferred to a higher level, the patient was diagnosed with severe progressive pneumonia on the background of influenza B.
Risk of severe complications, dangerous superinfection
The most severe case is patient H.N. T (65 years old, Hanoi), with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for many years. During this illness, the patient had a continuous high fever of 39–40°C, coughing up phlegm and gradually increasing shortness of breath. When admitted to the hospital, the patient fell into severe respiratory failure, had to breathe high-flow oxygen, then switched to non-invasive ventilation but did not respond, and was forced to have endotracheal ventilation.
According to doctors, with chronic lung disease, influenza B can trigger serious complications, including the risk of bacterial or invasive fungal superinfection – a common condition in people with immunodeficiency or chronic respiratory disease.
Do not be subjective with influenza B
MSc.BSNT Pham Thanh Bang, Department of Emergency Medicine, said that influenza B is a respiratory virus infection, often with symptoms such as fever, body aches, cough, runny nose and fatigue. Most cases can recover on their own, but in the high-risk group, the disease can quickly become severe.
What is worrying is that many people are subjective because the initial symptoms are not clear. Many patients only come to the hospital when shortness of breath or systemic exhaustion have appeared, making treatment more complicated. Especially in people with underlying diseases such as COPD, diabetes, liver disease or kidney failure, influenza B can be a trigger for a series of serious complications.
The elderly and people with underlying conditions – need to see a doctor early when symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue or shortness of breath lasting 1–2 days appear. Home remedies, including using antiviral drugs, can delay the time of necessary medical intervention.
Periodic flu vaccination is still an important solution to help reduce the risk of disease as well as limit severe progression.
