2023-12-28 14:17:33
Boom in influenza but also in Covid, colds and respiratory syncytial virus Rsv. These days there are thousands of Italians with the classic symptoms of seasonal ailments: from colds to sore throats, from coughs to the sensation of broken bones and fever. But experts reassure: no alarms, just deal with them in the right way: yes to self-medication but without abusing medicines.
Bassetti
“I have now seen the data from the USA: in 23 states they have had an impressive increase in respiratory infections”, which “are affecting the whole world in this period. There is nothing strange, they are seasonal infections”, he states to time.news Health Matteo Bassetti, director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the San Martino Polyclinic in Genoa. The numbers “will probably continue to grow for a week, 10 days, also due to the ‘after-effects’ of the Christmas and end-of-year holidays with lunches, dinners and more occasions for conviviality which make the viruses of the period spread very quickly. I think we should expect the peak within about ten days”.
“No fear or panic, which is absolutely useless”, warns the expert. “What has always happened is happening”, with the difference that “today there is greater attention to respiratory infections and everyone gets a Covid swab when they have a sore throat”. Bassetti reassures and once again recommends “avoiding the abuse of medicines”, because “these respiratory infections heal on their own. We must take medicines only when there are important symptoms – he specifies – reduce the fever with an antipyretic only when it is above 38 degrees and a half, take the anti-inflammatory only if you have a sore throat. Taking drugs ‘regardless’ is a mistake and stuffing yourself with pills is certainly harmful.”
Pregliasco
Fabrizio Pregliasco, virologist at the State University of Milan, reiterates the opportunity of a differential diagnosis with a Covid-19 swab so that, if positive, the fragile can receive the antiviral drug. For everyone else, the advice remains “responsible self-medication based on the type of symptoms: paracetamol has more of an antifebrile action, ibuprofen and other active ingredients have a transversal anti-inflammatory action that is also useful against the ‘cytokine storm’ of Covid, and then antitussives and nasal decongestants”.
Girardi
“We are witnessing a growth in respiratory infections”, notes the scientific director of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Irccs ‘Lazzaro Spallanzani’ in Rome, Enrico Girardi. “Over 20% are flu infections – he specifies – around 12% are Covid infections. Children contract mainly rhinoviruses and syncytial virus” Rsv, “the elderly mainly contract Covid infections. In hospital we observe that the number of hospitalized patients is concentrated on elderly people and patients with comorbidities. We repeat that, although the situation is completely different compared to past years, for some age groups – recommends the expert – vaccination is still very important”.
Read also
#Influenza #boom #cases #cure #experts