Flu Can Be Deadly
How come some people die of flu? Isn’t flu a mild illness? Is this disease preventable?
—liamty@gmail.com
You’re partly correct, flu or influenza is mostly a benign and self-limited illness. Its signs and symptoms are similar to those of the common cold but in flu, they are usually more severe and they come more abruptly. They include fever, chills, cough, nasal discharge, sore throat, body malaise, muscle pain, and headache. Despite the distressing symptoms, however, generally fit and healthy individuals overcome flu in a few days to a week even without seeing a doctor.
Flu, however, can be deadly if the patient develops complications such as pneumonia or sepsis. Particularly vulnerable to complications of flu are the very young (infants and children below five), the elderly, and the debilitated or those with underlying illness such as heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that annual flu epidemics (localized outbreaks of flu occur almost every year in practically all countries) result in about three to five million cases of severe illness globally and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths. Of those who die, 80 percent are 65 years old and older. Among children on the other hand, the overwhelming majority (99 percent) of those who die are in developing countries and most are under five years of age.
Incidentally, a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that in adults, the odds of developing a heart attack increases six-fold during the first seven days after a flu infection. HOW FLU SPREADS AND IS TREATED
Flu is caused by any of the three types of influenza viruses (A, B, and C), each of which has several subtypes or strains. The flu viruses enter the mouth or nose by inhalation of droplets that are coughed, sneezed, or exhaled out by people with the disease; by direct contact with secretions from infected people; or, by touching contaminated objects and then touching the nose or mouth with the hands.
Treatment for flu consists of bed rest, liberal fluid intake, and analgesics—such as paracetamol and ibuprofen—and decongestants to relieve fever, aches and pain, and nasal stuffiness. Antiviral agents such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), and peramivir (Rapivab) are now also increasingly being used for flu, especially for people who are at high risk for
complications. These drugs can lessen the symptoms and shorten the duration of the disease. They also can prevent serious flu complications.
FLU CAN BE PREVENTED
Personal hygiene and avoidance of crowded places can help prevent flu. Another measure to prevent the illness is by having a flu shot (i.e., immunization or vaccination).
In the Philippines, two types of flu shots are currently available. The trivalent flu vaccine protects against two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain while the quadrivalent flu vaccine protects against the same strains as the trivalent vaccine plus an extra influenza B strain.
The flu vaccines are safe, even for pregnant women. Their adverse effects occur rarely and are generally mild. They include soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site, low-grade fever, and aches. But the vaccines have limitations. They provide only 65 to 80 percent protection against flu in young adults and just 30 to 40 percent protection among the elderly, but those who develop flu even when already immunized have lower risk for complications. Also, the vaccines have to be administered annually because the prevalent type and strains of the virus vary from year to year. The composition of the vaccine is changed by the manufacturers annually based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO SHOULD GET FLU SHOTS?
The flu shot should be mandatory for health care providers, children between six months and five years of age, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease, and people 50 years old and older. For all others, it is not a must but still desirable.
WHEN TO GET THE SHOT?
The best time to get the flu vaccine is before the start of the flu season, which in the Philippines, coincides with the rainy season, i.e., from June to September, sometimes up to December. It is thus best to get the vaccine between February and June, ideally March or April, but it is still okay to get the shot outside these months.
The World Health Organization estimates that annual flu epidemics result in about three to five million cases of severe illness globally and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths.