Fever that shoots past 39, body aches, headache, nausea. There are many people who are dealing with the flu. In the Forlì area, after the peak recorded in the week between 12 and 18 December, the curve started to grow slightly again in the week between 6 and 12 March. “The situation in Romagna is currently aligned with that of most of the Italian territory, with an incidence only slightly higher, and classified as low intensity, i.e. below 10 cases per thousand inhabitants – he informs Francesco Cristini, head of the Infectious Diseases Operating Unit of the “Morgagni-Pierantoni” hospital in Forlì -. Few regions in Italy are still above 10 cases per thousand inhabitants”.
Doctor Cristini, which group is most affected?
“Children aged between zero and four years, with a current incidence of more than 20 cases per 1000 inhabitants”.
The average duration?
“This year’s flu is also a fairly standard one, but it seems that it can last long enough, even 5 days. The first post-pandemic flu epidemic from Covid-19, in a population that in the last two years has practically met the flu virus, it’s causing the flu a little longer than usual”.
A situation that is creating problems in the emergency room?
“I would say that there are no particular crises in the emergency rooms with regard to the flu and other viral infections circulating this season. The situation in the emergency rooms is always critical, regardless of the flu epidemic”.
Was there also a need for hospitalizations?
“It is natural that there have been hospitalizations of patients with flu, especially frail subjects, as historically and normally happens during the flu season”.
How effective was the flu vaccine?
“In the Romagna area, less than 60% of over-65s, the most represented population at risk, have been vaccinated. With regard to the effectiveness of the vaccine in subjects at risk, it is believed that it reduces complications and mortality from flu by 70%, but it is a general figure that derives from the scientific literature, and not related to the current vaccination campaign”.
What medicines to take in case of flu?
“The usual drugs against symptoms, the main one being fever, so paracetamol is the most recommended and safest antipyretic drug for all age groups. The most common nasal decongestants should be used very sparingly and only for a few days, we must not abuse them because they can be addictive. Antibiotics are not needed and therefore should not be taken, because it is a viral infection. The doctor will judge the usefulness of antibiotics only in the case of a real suspicion of a bacterial superinfection”.
What are the foods to eat?
“There are no specific recommendations. However, a light and easily digestible diet is important, in order not to commit an organism already in difficulty due to a viral infection. Foods containing vitamins E and C and minerals should be preferred, especially contained in lots of fruit and vegetables. Pay attention to hydration, abundant, especially water, herbal teas and citrus juices, because when there is a fever, the risk of dehydration increases”.
Is there a way to prevent it other than the vaccine?
“Non-vaccinal prevention is what we have learned, despite ourselves, with the Sars-CoV2 pandemic, made up of distancing and personal protective equipment. Times have changed, the emergency has returned and everything has reduced, and we are back to a normal life. It is therefore difficult to avoid a viral disease in a world that lives normally, but it is always good practice and common sense to wear a mask when you have a cold or fever until you recover, if you are around people, just to reduce the risk towards others”.
What is the covid situation instead?
“The disease always exists, in hospitals it is more often a question of random findings due to the active screening of all admissions to the Emergency Department which occur for the most varied health reasons. The cases slowly decrease, and no critical issues are identified. In this winter season among the so-called flu-like syndromes there was also a considerable number of Respiratory Syncytial Virus infections (here an in-depth analysis with the Head of Pediatrics, Enrico Valletta, ed) the, especially in the pediatric population, due to the natural circulation of a virus that has always coexisted with man, but also to the fact that this year the virus has also been actively researched in adults, together with Sars-Cov 2 and the influenza virus in cases of patients with fever hospitalized”.