Head colds not-so-popular winter illness

Bouts of influenza are fewer this season but the common cold seems to be trying to fill in the gap among some residents in Eastern Ontario.

“We’ve got a lot of head colds,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, chief medical health officer for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) during a phone interview March 6.

He noted that the number of influenza outbreaks for the Eastern Ontario region has been “sporadic” this season, and even when there are a few cases of flu showing up in some areas, it may be very mild thanks to preventive vaccination which has helped strengthen the immune system.

But, he added, there have been more cases of other illnesses like the ordinary cold or stomach flu which are caused by different kinds of viruses.

“But these are not the flu,” he said, adding that people who got their flu shots earlier in the season and then came down with a head cold should not blame their influenza vaccination.

The two main potential high-risk periods for a flu outbreak among anyone lacking the vaccination are during the Christmas season and during the March/April period, when the weather changes with spring approaching. Those are also the high-risk periods for colds.

Dr. Roumeliotis urged people to make sure they practice proper health habits with frequent washing of the hands with antibacterial soap, avoiding situations where they Cette année, la grippe n’a pas été trop virulente, malgré un grand nombre de rhumes de cerveau a déclaré le Bureau de santé de l’est de l’Ontario. Paul Roumeliotis, médecin hygiéniste en chef, a fait remarquer que bien que le vaccin annuel contre la grippe, disponible auprès du bureau de santé, des pharmacies locales et des cliniques médicales, soit efficace contre la plupart des souches de la grippe, il ne peut pas arrêter le virus responsable du rhume. Les résidents sont invités à continuer à pratiquer de bonnes habitudes en matière de santé, comme le lavage fréquent des mains avec du savon antibactérien et la couverture de la bouche et du nez en toussant ou en éternuant, pour empêcher la propagation des microbes. might either contract or spread any germs, and covering their mouth or nose when they cough or sneeze to prevent airborne transmission of germs.