Flu is not a cold. The consequences of resisting it are serious! Some people were admitted to the ICU...

Expert of this article: Wang Qian, attending physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Hebei Provincial Chest Hospital

This article was reviewed by Zhang Zheng, deputy chief physician of Guangzhou Haizhu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention

"A-choo! A-choo! A-choo... I have a runny nose, I feel weak all over, and I feel dizzy. I feel so uncomfortable~"

"You have the flu?!"

"It's okay, it's just a minor cold, it will be better if you hold on."

Recently, the weather has been getting colder, and many friends have experienced the above symptoms.

But many people do not pay attention to this "little cold", not knowing that there have been many news reports of people almost dying from influenza.

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What is the difference between influenza and colds? Why can influenza be life-threatening? We cannot be careless in the current epidemic prevention and control. Many people have questions while getting the COVID-19 vaccine: Can they get the influenza vaccine as well?

Let’s learn about influenza.

Flu ≠ cold, how to distinguish? Cold is what we usually call the common cold, while the full name of flu is "influenza". The two have similarities, but also obvious differences.

influenza

① The influenza virus family is very large. It is divided into four types: A, B, C, and D (or A, B, C, and D) based on the nucleoprotein and matrix protein. Influenza is prevalent and highly prevalent in winter and spring in temperate regions every year. In tropical regions, it has both semi-annual or year-round epidemics and year-round circulations.

② It is highly contagious, mainly spread through droplets produced by coughing, sneezing or talking, or through direct or indirect contact with mucous membranes such as the mouth, nose, and eyes;

③ The symptoms are severe, mostly manifested as high fever above 39.0℃, accompanied by obvious chills and body muscle aches, dizziness, headache and other discomfort symptoms;

④ If influenza is not treated in time, it may cause severe pneumonia, viral myocarditis, and even be life-threatening.

Common cold

① The pathogens are complex and diverse, and the disease has no obvious seasonality and may occur throughout the year;

② It is not highly contagious and is mainly spread through direct hand-to-hand contact and droplets, as well as some bad hygiene habits such as not washing hands, sharing tableware, and picking the nose;

③ The symptoms of the common cold are relatively mild, with hoarseness, nasal congestion, and possibly fever, but the temperature is generally not too high;

④ Most common colds can heal themselves. By taking some symptomatic medication, they can usually be cured in 3-5 days without leaving any sequelae.

The idea that colds and flu can be cured quickly by taking antibiotics is completely wrong.

Whether it is influenza or the common cold, their causes are viral infections, and antibiotics are drugs targeting bacteria and are ineffective against viruses.

The misuse of antibiotics will only lead to bacterial resistance and the emergence of super-resistant bacteria. When a bacterial infection actually occurs and antibiotics are needed, resistance will appear instead, resulting in no drugs being available.

So, who is susceptible to influenza?

Long-term smokers

This group of people is at high risk of influenza. Nicotine and other harmful substances in cigarettes can damage the nasal mucosa and cilia, and the defense tissue of the lungs. Smokers have a weaker defense against influenza viruses than non-smokers and are more likely to get influenza.

People who do not pay attention to personal hygiene

Washing hands frequently, ventilating the room more often, and paying attention to room disinfection can significantly reduce the chance of virus infection.

People who have close contact with influenza patients

The most important point in treating influenza is isolation as soon as possible. The influenza virus is highly contagious. Reducing crowd gathering during the peak influenza season and wearing a mask when going out can effectively reduce the occurrence of influenza.

Obese patients

There are many studies looking at the relationship between influenza and obesity, including the current COVID-19 epidemic.

More studies have found that obese patients are more likely to develop severe cases.

The immune system of obese patients is abnormal and their resistance to influenza virus is poor. At the same time, most obese patients also have metabolic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Their metabolic functions are disordered and they are more susceptible to influenza virus infection.

After getting the flu, will it go away after a fight? Many people regard the flu as a common cold and do not take it seriously enough, thinking that the disease will go away after a fight.

But in fact, influenza is more "dangerous" than the common cold:

The body's resistance is significantly reduced, and it is easy to be infected by bacteria that are not easy to be infected at ordinary times, leading to severe pneumonia;

The influenza virus can damage important organs of the body such as the heart, leading to viral myocarditis, etc.

All of the above may lead to serious complications and even be life-threatening.

Once influenza occurs, it is necessary to isolate as soon as possible. Keep the room ventilated and disinfected, drink plenty of water, ensure adequate rest, and eat mainly easily digestible and nutritious food.

Early and active antiviral treatment can effectively alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms of influenza, shorten the course of influenza, and reduce the occurrence of severe influenza.

Secondly, symptomatic treatment can be used. Antipyretic drugs can be used to reduce the discomfort symptoms of high fever, and cough suppressants can be used to relieve cough and sore throat discomfort. At the same time, analgesics can be used appropriately to relieve muscle aches, dizziness, headaches and other discomforts throughout the body.

Be careful to avoid blind or inappropriate use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are ineffective against influenza viruses and should only be used when there are clear signs of bacterial infection.

Can the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine be administered at the same time? Flu vaccination is the most effective measure to prevent the flu, and it is best to complete the flu vaccination before the end of October.

There are some things to note when getting a flu vaccine:

1. Can the influenza vaccine be administered at the same time as other vaccines?

Influenza vaccine and other inactivated vaccines and attenuated vaccines can be administered at different sites at the same time;

After receiving the live attenuated influenza vaccine, you must wait for at least 28 days before receiving other live attenuated vaccines.

Special note: People over 65 years old can receive influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine at the same time.

2. Can the influenza vaccine and the new coronavirus vaccine be administered at the same time?

In principle, it is recommended that the interval should be greater than 14 days.

There are three specific situations:

The COVID-19 vaccine can be administered 14 days after the flu vaccine;

Get the flu vaccine 14 days after the full COVID-19 vaccine program;

The influenza vaccine can be administered 14 days between the two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.