Things You Need to Know about Flu Infection
Allow me to discuss this week the things that people should know about the flu infection.
Flu infection is caused by the influenza virus. Its most common symptoms of flu are cough, coryza (common cold), nasal congestion, sore throat, fever and chills, body malaise and headache.
Influenza can cause mild or severe disease depending on the immune status and co-morbidity of the patient.
Most flu infections are mild, but severe flu infection can occur among immunocompromised, smoker, alcoholic, people with comorbidities like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary artery disease.
The flu can cause severe infection among pregnant, children younger than 2 years old and adult older than 65 years old.
The possible serious complication of flu includes pneumonia, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) which can sometimes cause fatal arrhythmia leading to death, kidney failure and encephalitis which may progress to coma.
The flu infection can also cause worsening of symptoms of patient’s pre-existing condition. It can cause asthma exacerbation on those with asthma, sudden decompensation of symptoms among patient with congestive heart failure.
The flu is not like the common cold.
The common cause of common cold is rhino virus.
Other virus that causes common cold include: Adeno virus, respiratory syncytial virus, common coronavirus (excluding coronavirus that causes COVID19) and parainfluenza viruses.
Clinically, flu can be differentiated from common cold. Fever, chills and fatigue are common among flu infection but rare on common cold.
Flu symptoms occurs abruptly while gradual on common cold.
Chest discomfort and cough tend to be severe among flu but mild among common cold.
Severe muscle ache is also common among flu and rare on among common cold.
Like Covid19, flu infection is highly preventable.
Hand washing, mask, social distancing and flu vaccination can prevent flu transmission.
Every year flu virus mutates thus yearly flu vaccination is recommended.