WARD OFF THE FLU

Given the rise in viral infections, health experts share what can be done to survive flu season and the measures one can take to avoid the illness

- BRYAN ANTHONY THOMAS

THE risk of seasonal flu has increased in a post-pandemic world. According to Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, director and chief of pulmonology at Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad, one can be subject to different seasonal flu viruses, with the subtype of the influenza A infection, H1N1 being the most common, followed by cases of influenza B. However, he warns that H3N2 influenza can be more dangerous than one can anticipate. Shedding light on the H3N2 virus, Dr Vandana Boobna, principal consultant of internal medicine at Max Super Specialty Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, notes that it is a subtype of influenza, a virus that spreads in a way similar to COVID-19.

With the surge in influenzalike illness and severe acute respiratory infections across the country a 58-year-old woman died in Gujarat on Monday after contracting flu-like symptomsthe Centre has asked states to be more proactive and raise awareness. "The government is currently looking at measures to curb the rise in cases. Besides these types of viruses, other respiratory viral infections such as parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus are also being monitored," adds Dr Jha.