2024-02-21 05:33:15
Epidemiological specialists analyzed with EL DÍNAMO the reasons that explain the increase in these viruses. They agreed on the importance of the winter campaign, but disagreed on the usefulness of using masks again.
The increase in the presence of respiratory viruses in the country motivated the decision of the Ministry of Education to bring forward the start of winter holidays for schoolchildren to June 24.
In fact, specialists point out that during the first months of This 2024 the highest incidence of respiratory syncytial virus will be recordedso bringing forward the holidays allows students to remain at home and reduces the risk of transmission.
Regarding the reasons for the increase in viral circulation and what measures should be adopted to reduce its impact on the population, THE DYNAMO He spoke with two epidemiological specialists.
Peaks of respiratory diseases in summer
“These summer peaks were not expected“, recognizes from the outset the professor of the Epidemiology program at the School of Public Health of the University of Chile, Gabriel Cavada. “Surely this has to do with a rearrangement of the ecological niches of the viruses“, he states below.
“One would expect that starting this year we will have epidemiological curves with peaks of respiratory diseases in June and July, and then a notable drop. From then on, we do not know if this behavior that we consider erratic today will be maintained over time, again with respiratory peaks in summer,” adds Cavada.
For his part, the head of the Epidemiology Unit of the Carlos van Buren Hospital, Yuri Carvajal, states that it is difficult to point to just one reason to explain the increase in viruses before winter, because “there are many variables involved. And we have been coming out of a pandemic period in which people did not circulate, they were restricted.”
“What we do see, for example, is the persistence of COVID-19 beyond what was expected. I always believed that this was going to close like other respiratory diseases, like the influenza in 1918, which closed and was over. However, we continue with the persistence of symptoms, obviously less serious,” details the specialist.
Vaccination campaign against winter viruses
Regarding the report from the Institute of Public Health that speaks of a 150% increase in virus cases compared to the previous year, Cavada is convinced that “there is no need to overreact. I think the only really important preventive measure is that you have to promote the vaccination campaign for influenza and for this new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with the bivalent vaccine.”
The Epidemiology professor points out that vaccination must be focused very strongly on risk groups. That is, in older adults and people with chronic diseases, etc. “In this sense, we must not let our guard down and we must promote these vaccination campaignshopefully with a very strong advertising message starting in March,” he adds.
Something with which Yuri Carvajal agrees, who emphasizes that The country has an immunization program that is mandatory and we hope that parents promote it in their childrenThat is, they must be careful to meet the dates on which they have to vaccinate their children against viruses in winter.
“In addition to that, I would say that children have to live a healthy life, they have to walk, they have to play sports. The best therapy is a healthy diet and moderate physical activity. “All the rest is secondary and has to do with early consultation in cases of suspected disease,” he then states.
How to prevent respiratory virus infections in children
The epidemiologist at the Carlos Van Buren Hospital also emphasizes that “very young children They must be cared for in a very special way both in the hospital, if they are newborns, and at home, avoiding indoor contaminants., which are quite a few. Also with care that is specific for that group, which are some medications that protect them from risks as if they were vaccines, especially from the respiratory syncytial virus.”
Regarding which viruses are circulating on these dates, Gabriel Cavada confirms that “in general there are seasonal viruses, as we saw this year with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in younger children. Then they come rotaviruses and all those that have a certain seasonality. And there isl virus SARS-CoV-2 and the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19which is going to enter the catalog of respiratory viruses, but as one more.”
Yuri Carvajal adds that “there are several influenza viruses. Us At the Carlos van Buren Hospital we type around 41 different virusesand we are always watching them in their daily evolution.”
Use masks again?
Faced with the dilemma of whether or not to use masks again to prevent the spread of these viruses, both epidemiologists disagree in their opinions.
Thus, the professor at the School of Public Health of the University of Chile maintains that “The mask is always good in terms of avoiding contagion of any respiratory disease. We are not talking about mandatory use of the mask, but as a personal measure it does not hurt, especially for people who are in risk groups, especially in situations such as overcrowding and use of public transport“.
“In addition, as we learned during the pandemic, we alsoIt is advisable to wash your hands with soap and water. This should be maintained even more so during the peak of respiratory diseases,” he adds.
On the other hand, for the head of the Epidemiology Unit at the Carlos van Buren Hospital, “the mask is something very dirty, because it is in contact with the mouth and nose, which are very dirty areas. It is very difficult for an ordinary person to know how to remove a mask hygienically and put it on hygienically. So, I believe that at this time they have no justification“he concludes.