The influenza season

Concern, much of it ill-informed and inaccurate, has been expressed about cases of influenza that have been reported in the last week. There have been exaggerated reports of the numbers of people suffering from flu and scaremongering about ‘swine flu.’ Influenza has several strains, the most virulent and the one most likely to cause serious illness or death is the H1N1 virus of which there have been 120 confirmed cases nationwide out of the 400 hospitalised nationally as reported by the National Institute of Health (NIH). The greatest numbers were recorded in the Multan area — 47 — and of the 120 reported 20 have died. As a percentage of all those that have contracted flu this season the numbers are almost infinitesimal and in no way constitute an epidemic such as that which was seen during the pandemic of 2009.

Medical professionals are calling for there to be no panic and that even if a person does contract flu there is no need for them to go to the hospital and they can treat themselves with over-the-counter analgesics and the symptoms will pass in a matter of days. Antibiotics are not an effective remedy for flu which is a virus, and antibiotics are used to treat infectious illnesses which are usually spread by microbial bacteria.

There are vulnerable groups — diabetics, cancer and asthma sufferers, children and the elderly are all considered at greater risk because the flu may exacerbate pre-existing conditions with occasionally fatal consequences. Vaccinations against flu are available for between Rs500 and Rs600 which could work out to be expensive if the only income source is daily wages.

Overall the message coming from NIH is to either vaccinate or if not then take commonsense precautions — handwashing with soap or sanitiser if you are in contact with somebody you think may have flu, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough. Keep young children home from school if you suspect they have contracted flu and do not overwhelm scarce hospital resources instead visit your local doctor and get their advice. Influenza is not entirely preventable, but it is not the indiscriminate killer it has been portrayed as.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2018.

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