Just recovered from influenza A, influenza B comes again! If you have just had influenza A, can you be infected with influenza B? What should you do if multiple infections overlap?

The temperature has warmed up recently, and the virus is more active

There are reports that

Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, etc.

Children's Hospital Fever Clinic

The proportion of children with influenza B is increasing

"Many children have onychomycosis on their front toes.

The back of my foot got infected with influenza B."

Does this mean that the flu peak will "return"?

What should I do if my child happens to be infected with influenza A and then influenza B?

Experts answer questions of concern to everyone.

👇According to the influenza weekly report from December 18 to 24, 2023 released by the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Influenza Surveillance Center, overall, influenza is still dominated by influenza A (type A). It is worth noting that the proportion of influenza B has increased for 6 consecutive weeks in the north and 3 consecutive weeks in the south. Influenza B (type B) is indeed more active recently.

According to Chao News, Zhao Wei, deputy director of the outpatient department of Hangzhou Children's Hospital in Zhejiang Province, said that most of the patients in the fever clinic of the hospital are respiratory diseases, mainly influenza A or influenza B, and a few adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. Recently, the proportion of children diagnosed with influenza A has dropped from 30% to 20%, but influenza B has a clear upward trend, from the original 2% to 15%. "Many children have just recovered from influenza A and then they are infected with influenza B."

What is the difference between influenza A and influenza B?

Dr. Zhao Wei introduced that influenza B is characterized by rapid onset, rapid changes, chills, fever, and body temperature may rise rapidly within a few hours to 24 hours, reaching 39℃-40℃, or even higher. It is also accompanied by other symptoms, such as headache, body aches, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Respiratory symptoms are mild, but there will be symptoms such as dry throat, sore throat, and dry cough, which may sometimes be accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. The sick children are mainly concentrated in the school-age stage, and most of them are clustered infections. Children of younger ages are mainly infected by other family members because of limited activity venues.

Weng Weidong, director of the infectious department of Zhejiang Provincial Tongde Hospital, said in an interview with Metro Express, "Compared with influenza B, influenza A is more contagious and the symptoms after infection are relatively more severe. The most typical symptom is high fever and muscle aches all over the body, accompanied by symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and cough. In addition, influenza A lasts longer, and it often takes 3-5 days for the fever to subside, and it takes about two weeks for symptoms such as fatigue, soreness, and cough to subside." If influenza A is not treated in time, patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema are more likely to develop severe pneumonia or worsen their underlying diseases after infection.

"The symptoms of influenza A and influenza B are not very different, and it is difficult to differentiate based on clinical manifestations. Diagnosis still requires combined testing." Dr. Zhao Wei said, "There are corresponding antiviral drugs for influenza A and influenza B. The earlier the treatment, the better the effect. It is still recommended to bring the child to the hospital for examination and make a diagnosis based on blood routine tests."

Special reminder: Influenza B is caused by a virus. Commonly used antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporin are drugs against bacteria and are useless against influenza B. It is not recommended to use antibiotics without authorization when you have a fever.

Doctor: Influenza B is less contagious than Influenza A

"Although the proportion of influenza type B has increased, the overall number of influenza cases is still declining, only the relative proportions of different influenza virus subtypes have changed." On January 2, Liu Jue, a researcher at the School of Public Health of Peking University, told the People's Daily Health Client that compared with influenza type A, which is highly contagious, has more severe clinical symptoms, and is more likely to cause outbreaks, influenza type B is usually small-scale or sporadic, so there is no need to worry too much about the increase in the proportion of influenza type B.

Zhao Lei, deputy director of the infectious department of Wuhan Union Hospital, said, "Influenza B is mainly transmitted from person to person and is less contagious than influenza A. As the proportion of influenza B continues to rise, it may form a dominant transmission situation and continue for some time. Generally, after reaching the peak of infection, the number of infections will begin to gradually decline."

In addition, experts said that the anti-influenza drugs currently developed in China are also sensitive to the currently prevalent influenza B virus and are effective in treating it.

If I have just had influenza A, can I still be infected with influenza B?

"Influenza A and influenza B are two different subtypes of influenza and do not have a cross-immunity mechanism. After being infected with influenza A or influenza B, if the patient has a relatively weak constitution, there is still a chance of being infected with another subtype of influenza virus." Dr. Weng Weidong said that the influenza vaccine can prevent both influenza A and influenza B at the same time, and the chances of vaccinated people contracting influenza A and B successively are relatively small.

Dr. Weng Weidong said that generally speaking, the probability of being infected with the same subtype of influenza virus within a year is very small. For example, the influenza A virus of the subtype A (H3N2) is currently prevalent. After infection, the patient's body will have immunity to this type of virus, so the probability of being infected with the same type of virus again within a year is small. However, since the influenza A virus is easy to mutate, people who have not been vaccinated may be infected with other subtypes of influenza A virus again.

"In recent years, because the influenza B virus has not mutated much, the scope of transmission is relatively small, and the probability of being infected with influenza B again within a year is also small," explained Weng Weidong.

What should I do if my child has recurring fever due to multiple infections?

This autumn and winter, there is a superposition of influenza and mycoplasma infection. Some children have repeated fevers and repeated medical treatment. Professor Li Shuhua said that repeated fevers are not necessarily repeated influenza infections, but may be overlapping infections or successive infections, which is equivalent to the body being hit repeatedly, and each attack is a different pathogen. After being tortured by the virus repeatedly, the child's own immune system has been strongly attacked. At this time, it is recommended to rest well. Good sleep and rest can stimulate the body's strong recovery ability.

Professor Li Shuhua, director of the Pediatrics Clinic and Fever Clinic at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, reminded that anti-influenza virus drugs should be taken as early as possible, especially for children under 5 years old who are in the high-risk group. In addition, children with high fever and chills indicate that the body's immune system reaction caused by the viral infection is more serious, and it is also recommended to take the drug as soon as possible within 48 hours.

Parents are most anxious when their children have a high fever. Experts remind that the purpose of reducing fever is to make children feel more comfortable. If it is a simple cold and fever, physical cooling methods can be used if the child is not particularly uncomfortable. Generally speaking, if the fever is above 39℃ and lasts for more than 2 hours, it is recommended to use antipyretics to avoid prolonged fever, which may increase brain excitability and cause convulsions.

What should I do if my child still has a recurring fever after taking antipyretics? Professor Wang Xinhua, a famous Chinese medicine doctor in Guangdong Province and former president of Guangzhou Medical University, suggested that you can try to use external treatments of Chinese medicine to reduce fever. For example, boil 20 to 30 grams of aromatic and pungent Chinese medicines such as Artemisia annua, Fragrant Ru, and Patchouli in water, and use a towel to wipe the child's neck, armpits and other places where large blood vessels flow. This can be done three to five times a day. This can quickly expand the pores. These aromatic Chinese medicines can also disperse and relieve the symptoms, which is very helpful for the body to dissipate heat. In addition, scraping, pinching the spine, acupoint massage and other techniques can all help reduce fever, so that children can minimize the use of antipyretics.

How can we prevent influenza B? In view of the current prevalence of respiratory infectious diseases, Dr. Zhao Wei reminds us to add or remove clothes in time according to the weather changes, pay attention to balanced nutrition, regular work and rest, avoid overwork, enhance our own resistance, seek treatment as soon as possible when we are sick, and try to achieve early diagnosis, early isolation, and early treatment.

In terms of preventive measures, influenza vaccination is still the most economical and effective means to prevent influenza B. Zhao Wei, director of the Biosafety Research Center of the School of Public Health of Southern Medical University, told the People's Daily Health Client that "the current influenza vaccine contains ingredients to prevent influenza B. Although influenza B virus is more stable than influenza A virus, it still has variability, so influenza vaccine cannot prevent all influenza B."

"In addition to protection against routine respiratory infections, it is important to prevent influenza B and increase immune function. Since the symptoms of influenza B virus infection are generally mild, if the immune function is properly enhanced, the body's ability to resist the virus will be enhanced, which is also helpful for preventing influenza B." Dr. Zhao Lei reminded.

Source: Health Times, Nanfang Daily

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