The rising cases of the H3N2 virus have been a matter of public concern. TANISHA SAXENA speaks to experts to give you a detailed report on the virus and the precautions to be taken from being infected.
Flu or influenza viruses are commonplace; however, they can lead to severe illness or death, especially in the case of people dealing with existential health issues such as pulmonary, chronic cardiac, renal, metabolic, liver, hematologic, and neurodevelopmental conditions! Lately, the rising cases of the H3N2 virus have been a matter of public concern.
On March 6, Karnataka reported India’s first death from the virus, and the situation is worrisome. One death was also reported in Haryana. This recent surge in cases has consequently led to a major chunk of the population being hospitalized and experiencing symptoms such as fever, cold, cough, and body aches. Nearly 150 percent more patients are visiting OPDs with such symptoms!
Doctor Bindumathi P L, Sr. Consultant, Internal Medicine, Aster CMI hospital has noticed a 70% rise in H3N2 which is an influenza virus among patients aged 25 and above. She explained, “Flu is a viral infection that affects the nose, throat, and lungs. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, the virus can be transmitted, just like in pandemic. Due to hazardous weather fluctuations over the last one to two months, there is an abnormal pattern in the growth in the number of cases. Also, the symptoms are persisting longer than normal. You might call this a pattern — we are now observing following covid.
New infections that require study could be one of the causes.” Several studies have pointed out that air pollutants are linked to an increased risk of this influenza. Low humidity in the atmosphere could be another reason. Elaborating on this, she continued, “Air pollution aggravates the respiratory symptoms of cough, wheeze, breathlessness. Another reason is that other viruses were ignored because of covid, and they are now re-emerging. It is a self-limiting condition that results in illnesses of various degrees of severity with high fever, cough with sputum, breathlessness, where some of which require hospitalisation too.”
Similarly, at MediBuddy, the doctors have observed a 10% increase in the number of users taking cold and fever consultations in the last one week alone. The current increase in respiratory illnesses has been attributed to the H3N2 virus by the ICMR. Doctor Gowri Kulkarni shares, “This is a subtype of the influenza A virus that is known to cause seasonal flu. In some cases, sore throat, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and wheezing are also seen.Those at the highest risk include children under 5, older adults over 65, pregnant women, and individuals with certain long-term health conditions.”
Doctor Kulkarni further suggested some ways of prevention, such as practicing good hand hygiene, wearing masks in crowded and poorly ventilated spaces, and avoiding touching your face. Additionally, an annual flu vaccination is recommended, especially for those at high risk. If anyone gets sick, it is advisable to rest, hydrate, and consult a doctor, who may prescribe medications. Moreover, one shouldn’t be taking antibiotics unless prescribed by a doctor!
“Yes, there has been an uptick in influenza-like illnesses. All of them are not the old seasonal flu or pandemic. The major contributory virus is influenza A H3N2 this season. About half of all inpatients admitted for severe acute respiratory infections as well as outpatients being treated for influenza-like illness are found to have influenza A H3N2,” asserted doctor Shuchin Bajaj, founder of the Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals.
Doctor Sunita Kapoor, consultant lathologist at City X-Ray & Scan Clinic, sheds light on other crucial aspects of the virus, including the type and the different ways of diagnosis. Beginning with the types of influenza viruses she describes,“Influenza virus circulation usually peaks during the monsoon season, with secondary peaks during the winter.
There are four types of influenza viruses: types A, B, C, and D. Influenza A viruses can infect humans and many different animals. The emergence of a new and very different influenza A virus with the ability to infect people and have sustained human-to-human transmission can cause an influenza pandemic and therefore is of most significance to public health. Also, these viruses are classified into subtypes according to the combinations of different virus surface proteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Current subtypes of influenza A viruses that routinely circulate in people include A (H1N1) and A (H3N2). In years in which H3N2 is the predominant strain, there are more hospitalizations.
Human infections are primarily acquired through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments, these viruses have not acquired the ability of sustained transmission among humans.”
Influenza virus detection techniques have been classified into four categories namely traditional methods (viral culture), serological methods (immunofluorescence assays, complement fixation, immunodiffusion test), advanced quick methods which include nucleic acid tests like RT PCR, multiplex PCR, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, and conventional PCR and bio-sensing.
Prof. Dr. SK Chhabra, Head of Department from Pulmonary at Primus Hospital, advises, “Skin and hair issues in the festival of colors were not going to be the only concern this year as a new virus had been spreading, due to the rapid shift in weather from cold to warmer temperatures. The increase in the number of patients complaining of chest congestion demonstrates how seasonal change is having a negative influence on people’s health. Apart from asthmatic patients, there are many additional individuals who have serious lung infections and are having difficulty breathing.They need to be extra careful now as they would have inhaled the colors, which caused serious harm to their health. No doubt, Holi is one of the most exciting festivals, but it is celebrated with chemical colors.”
DR. SK CHHABRA shared some
precautions to be followed:
These measures will help prevent the flu and limit its spread:
• Wash your hands frequently : Always and extensively clean your hands with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if neither is available.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes: Use a tissue or your elbow to sneeze or cough into if you must expose others to your germs. Do a quick handwashing.
• Don’t touch your face unnecessarily: Don’t touch your face too much; that includes your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Clean surfaces: Keep frequently touched surfaces clean to avoid picking up the virus from them and spreading it to your body.
