Tips on common respiratory infectious diseases in winter and spring

Respiratory infectious diseases refer to infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms that invade susceptible people through the respiratory tract (i.e. the human oral and nasal cavities) and continue to spread outward with respiratory secretions and invade another susceptible person. To prevent respiratory infectious diseases, remember 12 words: wash hands frequently, wear masks, ventilate frequently, and avoid gathering. Vaccination is the most effective preventive measure.

What are the common respiratory infectious diseases?

There are many types of respiratory infectious diseases, the more common ones include influenza, tuberculosis, measles, chickenpox, mumps, etc.

1. Influenza: caused by influenza virus, with rapid onset, fast spread and easy to cause epidemics. It starts suddenly, with systemic symptoms, mostly chills, fever, body temperature quickly rises to 38-40℃, headache, body aches.

Influenza patients are the main source of infection. The virus can be spread through droplets produced when patients cough, sneeze or talk loudly. It can also be transmitted indirectly through contact with daily necessities.

2. Pulmonary tuberculosis: It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and mainly occurs in the lungs. When a contagious patient coughs, sneezes, or speaks loudly, he or she may be infected by inhaling air containing tuberculosis droplets. The incubation period is 4-8 weeks. Whether or not the disease occurs depends mainly on the body's resistance and the virulence of tuberculosis bacteria.

Performance

Coughing, sputum, or blood in sputum for more than two weeks, as well as fever, night sweats, general malaise, chest pain, difficulty breathing, etc.

In recent years, there have been many school tuberculosis outbreaks in my country, and teachers and students in all schools need to pay great attention to it.

3. Measles: It is caused by the measles virus and is highly contagious. Measles patients are the only source of infection. The virus exists in the respiratory tract of patients and is spread through droplets. People are generally susceptible.

High fever , body temperature as high as 39-40℃, upper respiratory tract inflammation, oral mucosal spots and maculopapular rashes on the body are easy to identify. Due to various reasons such as inadequate vaccination, sporadic or local outbreaks have occurred occasionally in recent years, which should be taken seriously.

4. Chickenpox: It is caused by the primary infection of varicella-zoster virus. It is more common in infants and preschool children, but can also occur in students and adults. It is characterized by mild systemic symptoms and macules, papules and scabs that appear in batches.

It is more common in winter and spring, and the patient is the only source of infection. It is highly contagious and can be spread through direct contact with varicella fluid and air droplets, or through contaminated utensils.

5. Mumps: Caused by the mumps virus, early symptoms such as general discomfort, fever, anorexia, headache, etc. appear 2-3 weeks after inhalation of droplets. After one or two days, the parotid glands gradually swell and the high fever can reach above 39°C. The severe swelling of the parotid glands usually lasts for 4-5 days and then gradually subsides. The whole process takes 1-2 weeks.

Prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases

The three elements of preventing and controlling infectious diseases are to eliminate the source of infection, cut off the route of transmission, and protect susceptible populations. Specifically, we should start from the following aspects:

1. Wear a mask: By establishing a physical barrier, cut off the transmission route of the virus. During the epidemic of respiratory diseases, it is recommended to wear a suitable mask as needed when going to various relatively closed public places.

2. Wash your hands frequently: Hands are the most used and the dirtiest part of our daily life. If we do not wash our hands carefully, various bacteria and viruses will be carried into our bodies through our hands and even spread everywhere. Washing your hands frequently is a very important hygiene habit to prevent infectious diseases. Rub your hands for at least 15 seconds each time. If your hands are not obviously dirty or it is inconvenient to wash your hands outside, you can use hand disinfectant.

3. Ventilate frequently: Air circulation can reduce and dilute the content of bacteria and viruses in the room. Open windows for ventilation 2-3 times a day, each time for about 20-30 minutes, to reduce the chance of infection, prevent respiratory infectious diseases, pay attention to purifying the indoor environment and keeping the air fresh.

4. Smart shielding: Respiratory infectious diseases are mainly spread through droplets. Droplets produced when patients sneeze or cough carry a large number of bacteria and viruses. Therefore, when sneezing or coughing, we should cover our mouths and noses with tissues or elbows to avoid spreading droplets to others or splashing them on objects that are touched by others and spread. Used tissues should be thrown into a covered trash can, and handkerchiefs and clothes should be washed and disinfected in time.

5. Pay attention to hygiene: During the epidemic of respiratory infectious diseases, we should also pay attention to other personal hygiene, such as regularly cleaning or disinfecting some frequently used personal items such as books, mobile phones, keys, glasses, etc., and keeping the items used clean. Generally, they can be wiped with alcohol.

Doing a good job in infectious disease prevention and control is not the job of one person, but our common responsibility. Let us all take action, starting with ourselves, starting with the small things of hygiene, developing good hygiene habits, improving hygiene awareness, growing up healthily, and living happily.

Author: Jiang Shaohua, Xinji Second Hospital, Hebei Province