ICMR links rising cases of seasonal flu to H3N2 virus
Cough, cold and flu in February-March and November-December are common due to change of season, but this time these are not to be taken lightly as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has linked rising cases of seasonal flu to Influenza A H3N2 virus.
Usually seasonal flu lasts for one week without any need for hospitalisation. But H3N2 is leading to illness for up to three weeks during which patients report high fever, cough, nausea, sore throat, body aches and some have to rush to hospital.
“Influenza A subtype H3N2 is the major cause of current respiratory illness,” said ICMR, which has established a pan respiratory virus surveillance system. The agency added surveillance data from December 15 till date reflecting the rise in the number of cases of Influenza A H3N2. This variant appears to cause more hospitalization than other influenza subtypes.
ICMR said of the hospitalised patients about 92 per cent had fever, 86 per cent had cough out of which 27 per cent with breathlessness, 16 per cent with wheezing. Additionally, 16 per cent had clinical pneumonia and 6 per cent had seizures. About 10 per cent of all such patients needed oxygen and 7 per cent needed ICU care.
Health agencies have advised people to wear masks, wash hands regularly, avoid crowded places and take paracetamol for fever and body aches. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has advised people against indiscriminate use of antibiotics to cure cough linked to the flu.
“Right now, people start taking antibiotics like Azithromycin and Amoxiclav etc, without caring for dose and frequency and stop once they start feeling better. This needs to be stopped as it leads to antibiotic resistance. Whenever there will be a real use of antibiotics, they will not work due to the resistance,” the IMA said in a statement.
Alarmed with the rising H3N2 cases, the Karnataka government has on Monday called a meeting to discuss preventive measures to be taken to tackle the virus.
THE H3N2 virus is leading to illness for up to three weeks during which patients report high fever, cough, nausea, sore throat, body aches and some have to rush to hospital