With the onset of the rainy season and the constant flux of students as the semester thunders on, what is increasing isn’t just the chatter of students or the chances of your clothes missing from the line, but something else. It comes in the form of hacking coughs, a runny nose and a hoarseness that rivals a frog’s; it is influenza, more commonly known as the flu. You’ve probably noticed people around you with similar symptoms, or you might be coming down with it yourself.
What is the flu?
The influenza (flu) is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. It causes symptoms like head and body aches, sore throat, fever, and respiratory symptoms, which can be severe. Unlike in temperate regions with distinct winter flu seasons, Nigeria experiences influenza activity year-round, with it peaking during the harmattan and rainy seasons.
What are its symptoms?
Some of its symptoms are:
- A sore throat
- A runny or stuffy nose
- Fever
- Muscle ache
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Dry cough
- Sweating and chills
- Conjunctivitis, if severe.
How does it spread?
- Respiratory Droplets: This is the main way flu spreads. Coughing and sneezing usually release infected droplets, which can travel as far as 6 feet. You could be seated in the passenger seat of a taxi, and the person seated in the back could be coughing into the air. Do not assume you’re safe just because you do not happen to be near the person; you’re likely to get infected too.
- Contaminated surfaces or somites: The flu virus can live for 24–48 hours on hard surfaces like metal or plastic, and 8–12 hours on fabrics. Touching a contaminated object (doorknobs, phones, desks) and then touching your face can cause an infection. That pen given to you by a friend, the change you received from the keke man, or even your own phone could be carrying the virus.
- Pre-symptomatic Transmission: People can spread the flu roughly one day before symptoms appear, making it easy to spread unknowingly. In a place as crowded as a class, or the bus stop, there’s a likely chance you’ve come in contact with someone with the flu who hasn’t started showing symptoms. So, during these times, it’s best to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread.
The flu is most contagious during the first three days of illness.
How can it be treated?
Most people recover from influenza without treatment, as it is a self-limiting viral illness. However, people at high risk, such as the elderly, children 2 years or younger, people with suppressed immune systems, people undergoing chemotherapy and people living with chronic illnesses should be treated with anti-viral medication. To improve comfort as well, while the body fights the virus, the underlying symptoms can be managed using painkillers and cough syrups.
How can you differentiate between influenza and other diseases with the same symptoms?
Influenza shares very common symptoms with the common cold. Although both have similar symptoms, influenza is usually a lot more severe. The flu (influenza) hits fast with high fever, severe aches, and extreme fatigue, whereas a cold develops gradually with milder symptoms like a runny nose and congestion. Flu causes intense, debilitating symptoms often lasting 2-3 weeks, while colds are generally shorter and less severe.
Even though the flu also has common symptoms and methods of spreading with the novel COVID-19, COVID is usually associated with loss of taste or smell, increased severity, shortness of breath and a longer term.
Another infection commonly associated is pneumonia. However, pneumonia usually comes with a productive cough (cough with phlegm), difficulty breathing, chest pain, and a high fever.
With the outbreak of Lassa fever as well, there is a need to understand the distinction between its symptoms and those of influenza. While Lassa fever’s initial symptoms are similar to those of influenza, with gradual fever, weakness, fatigue, severe headaches, and sore throat, the symptoms start to differ as the disease progresses. Further progression of Lassa fever causes muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe cases include facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from bodily openings (mouth, nose, vagina), and low blood pressure.
How can it be prevented?
Vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza. However, we can take proactive measures to prevent the spread, like:
- Washing and drying hands regularly: After a long day of classes, or ward rounds, we shouldn’t be quick to grab any food or even our phones, but we should wash our hands or sanitize if there’s no available water or soap.
- Avoiding touching the face: While coughing, or checking your temperature using your hands, avoid bringing your hands up to your eyes, nose and mouth as they serve as easy passages of the virus into your body.
- Disposing of tissues correctly: Yes, I see you stuffing those catarrh-filled tissues into the cardboard core of the tissue roll. Stop. While hustling with daily activities as students, it’s hard to be on the constant lookout for a dustbin each time you sneeze. However, you can always keep your used tissues in a nylon, and dispose of them when you see a dustbin.
- Staying home when feeling unwell: Sometimes isolation might be the best prevention. Your zeal to go to school and attend class is commendable, however, you can take a day (or two) off to recuperate and visit the hospital.
- Avoiding close contact with sick people: As medical students, the idea has already been ingrained into us that we’re meant to care for the sick, even if you’re just in your first preclinical year learning about origins and insertions. However, you must avoid close contact as much as possible, even while caring.
- Eating properly: It seems so insignificant, but it’s important. Our bodies can’t fight against any invaders if they can’t arm themselves with the necessary arsenal of weapons.
While we’re juggling academics and the willingness to continue, let us remember to take care of our health and keep all these tips in mind.
Hameedah Uthman
Wonderful article ✨
Welldone Hameedah ????