Respiratory disease season traditionally begins in autumn
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AN EARLY EPID SEASON IS EXPECTED
The school year has begun and with it comes concern for the health of our children. Traditionally, September marks the start of respiratory illness season. People get sick in daycares and schools; Sometimes our students don’t even have time to make it to fall break: they get sick, stay home, and miss classes. But not only children get sick, but also adults. After all, schoolchildren and preschoolers bring viruses home, where they transmit them to their parents, who then take them to their offices…
Experts are already making predictions about what the 2023-2024 cold and flu season will look like. And the forecasts are quite alarming.
An early start to the respiratory season is expected in the fall of 2023. The flu will be especially dangerous this year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the activity of influenza viruses decreased markedly, but now they are gaining strength again.
WHO IS AT RISK?
The most vulnerable to the flu itself are children. They, especially those under 6 years of age, do not yet have what is called prepared immunity. When formed, viruses become the key factors that allow the creation of acquired immunity in addition to innate immunity.
– Unlike an adult, a child’s body is unfamiliar with most respiratory viruses. Therefore, the child has the right to get sick by training his immunity,” explains the Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Professor of the Department of Children’s Infectious Diseases of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education. the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, excellent student of healthcare of the Russian Federation, member of the European Association of Pediatricians-Infectious Diseases (ESPID), member of the National Scientific Society of Infectious Diseases (SNOI) Tatyana Chebotareva.
The second main risk group is people over 65 years of age. Here we are talking about the phenomenon of a latent immune response. That is, older people or people with concomitant pathologies or chronic diseases react differently to the infectious process. But often it is grandparents who communicate the most with their grandchildren, school or kindergarten students.
Whether we get sick depends on the current state of the immune system and innate immune factors. For example, if interferon is produced quickly and immediately in high concentrations, then, in principle, these people will not get the same flu or will become only mildly ill. This is something we inherited from our parents, but there are not many people like that.
And those who do not have this ability become ill with more serious symptoms. Those who produce interferon in low concentrations get seriously ill all the time. And your risk of serious infections increases significantly.
PROTECTION METHODS
What can we do to avoid getting sick? Of course, follow preventive measures: first of all, we are talking about vaccination. You can now get vaccinated against the flu, they are free in our country. Mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 has been canceled, but it is still worth getting vaccinated against it. People with weakened immune systems, those who are at risk, who are protecting themselves and their families, should definitely think about this. The introduction of vaccines is the most effective preventive measure available worldwide.
But do not forget about other methods of protection: dress according to the weather, wear a medical mask in public places, use an antiseptic and wash your hands thoroughly, rinse your nose with saline solutions, apply oxolinic ointment to the nasal mucosa, which prevents viruses enter the body.
IF YOU STILL GET SICK
If symptoms appear (fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough), the most important thing is for the sick person to stay home. After all, in this state a person is a potential source of infection.
You can take antiviral drugs, for example, Ergoferon.
“In my practice I try to give preference to antiviral drugs that have proven effectiveness and safety,” says Tatyana Chebotareva. – And at the same time, capable of providing a comprehensive treatment of the disease, that is, those that have the maximum possible set of properties and effects necessary for successful treatment, and are able to cope with both the cause and the symptoms from ARVI.
The next important point: you need to call a doctor and he will decide what steps to take and how exactly to treat you. Generally, at temperatures above 38.5ºC, antipyretic drugs and drinking plenty of fluids are used.
These are the criteria of the so-called universal approach.
