Beware The Influenza Bug

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Stay safe and alert: People wearing face masks to protect themselves in George Town. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Achoo! It’s the flu season, and the virus is making its rounds looking for new carriers during this monsoon season.With cases of influenza A or B on the rise, experts are warning of an outbreak as the virus is highly contagious and prone to spreading during the cold climate.
The common symptoms are high fever, body aches, cough or flu, and nobody is safe from the virus unless one is vaccinated.
Civil servant K. Charles, 38, was out for lunch when he suddenly felt extremely tired and had shortness of breath.“The feeling was like I got hit by a truck and could not continue riding my bike,” he said.
Charles stopped by the roadside to call his father, who then rushed over and sent him to the hospital.
“I was in bed for five days with a high fever and body aches.
“My test result came back positive for influenza A, which the doctors say is highly infectious and more severe than influenza B.“I was given antiviral drugs for the next few days. I lost my appetite and the doctor put me on intravenous (IV) drips.”
Charles said that after he recovered, he promptly went to take a flu jab.
Jessie Lim, a clerk, 43, said she accompanied her son Jason Lee, 23, to a private clinic after he complained about feeling feverish and having body aches.
“At first, I thought he was merely having a fever, but to my surprise, his test showed that he had contracted influenza A.
“He was prescribed antibiotics and paracetamols and told to rest and take more fluids,” she said.
As the disease is highly contagious, Lim said everyone in her family wore masks to contain the spread of the virus and kept her son isolated.
Her anxiety did not end there, as Lim’s 76-year-old mother, who lives with them, also came down with fever, flu and cough.
“I was so worried, thinking that the virus had spread among our family members.
“Luckily, my mother later tested negative for influenza A or B. Both of them recovered after a few days.
“A week later, I took both my son and my mum to a clinic to get the flu vaccines for a whole year’s protection,” she said, adding that she herself had gotten vaccinated against the flu earlier.
Imran Hilmy, who works in the media, was not ready to put his eight-year-old daughter’s life on the line again after she recovered from Covid-19.
“When Maryam and her mother contracted Covid-19 during the pandemic, it was really painful for me to see both of them suffer through it.
“With the influenza season raging now, I did not think twice about getting my daughter vaccinated.
“She needs a boost to her immune system, especially during these colder months when both the flu virus and other respiratory illnesses tend to rise,” he said.
General practitoner Dr BS Goh said people of any age can catch the influenza virus.
The viruses that circulate widely in humans are the influenza A subtypes H1N1 and H3N2, along with influenza B, he said.
“Annual vaccination is recommended as this is the primary and most effective way to prevent influenza and influenza-related complications.”
Dr Goh also advised holidaymakers planning to travel to places with colder climates to get the flu jabs before leaving to avoid falling sick later.
Penang health committee chairman Danial Gooi said staying vaccinated will not only protect individuals but also help safeguard the vulnerable folk within the community.
“Parents, too, should be attentive and refrain from sending their children to daycare centres, kindergartens or schools if they are ill,” he added.
Gooi revealed that the cumulative number of influenza clusters in Penang rose to 27 by epidemic week (EW) 41 this year, up from 21 during the same period last year.However, he said the consultation rate for influenza-like illness (ILI) in EW 41 this year had seen a slight decrease from 8.4% in 2023 to 5.4% this year.
“Although the number of cases per influenza outbreak has shown a significant decline with no serious cases detected in any of the outbreaks, the public still needs to be vigilant about their health and seek immediate treatment if they feel unwell,” he said. - Star

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