The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) noted that the particular strain causes more hospitalizations than any other flu subtype.
According to the ICMR, in hospitalized patients H3N2, 92% of patients had fever, 86% had cough, 27% shortness of breath, 16% wheezing. Additionally, ICMR monitoring revealed that 16% of these patients had pneumonia and 6% had seizures.
“About 10% of patients with severe acute respiratory infections caused by H3N2 needed oxygen and 7% needed intensive care,” the ICMR said.
Symptoms to watch out for:
- Fever
- Chills
- Cough
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sore throat
- Muscle and body pain
- Diarrhea
- Runny nose and sneezing
Health research agency Apex has also suggested a list of do’s and don’ts for people to follow to protect themselves from contracting the virus.
Of the
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
- Wear face masks and avoid crowded areas
- Avoid touching your mouth and nose
- Cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing
- Stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids
- Only take prescribed medication (such as paracetamol) for fever and body aches.
Not to do
- Shake hands or use other contact-based greetings
- Spit in public
- Self-medication with antibiotics
- Eat sitting next to others or in a crowd
IMA advises against indiscriminate use of antibiotics
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has advised against the indiscriminate use of antibiotics amid rising cases of coughs, colds and nausea across the country.
Increase in cases of fever – Avoid antibiotics https://t.co/WYvXX70iho
— Indian Medical Association (@IMAIndiaOrg) 1677855852000
The association also asked doctors to prescribe only symptomatic treatments and not antibiotics.
“Right now, people are starting to take antibiotics like azithromycin and amoxiclav, etc., regardless of dose and frequency, and stop it once they start to feel better. This must be stopped as it leads to antibiotic resistance. Whenever there is a real use of antibiotics, they will not work due to resistance,” the IMA said in a statement.
The most misused antibiotics are amoxicillin, norfloxacin, oprofloxacin, ofloxacin and levofloxacin.
Who is at risk?
The IMA Standing Committee for Antimicrobial Resistance said viral cases have increased due to air pollution, adding that the disease mainly occurs in people aged under 15 and over 50. and causes upper respiratory tract infections with fever.
The wave of infections is expected to subside from the end of March or the first week of April as the temperature begins to rise.
(With agency contributions)