There is a science to preventing common infectious diseases in spring

This is the 3107th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Spring is back, and the earth is full of vitality. Spring is the season of revival of all things, but it is still cold, and the temperature fluctuates greatly. Bacteria and viruses are very active, and some common seasonal infectious diseases have begun to appear, which has caused many people to be "infected" unfortunately, and there is an endless stream of patients coming to the hospital for treatment. Especially the elderly friends should be more careful, prepare for a rainy day, and take "prevention" as the top priority. Only by fully understanding the characteristics and laws of common infectious diseases in spring can we better prevent diseases and stay away from diseases.

1. Characteristics of common infectious diseases in spring

Common infectious diseases in spring include influenza, hand, foot and mouth disease, chickenpox, measles, mumps, meningitis, scarlet fever, and the global outbreak of COVID-19. Each type of infectious disease has certain laws and characteristics of onset, and mastering them can help prevent and treat these diseases.

influenza

Influenza, also known as flu, is the most common respiratory infectious disease in spring. The incubation period is usually 1 to 3 days. The main symptoms are fever, headache, runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, muscle and joint pain and discomfort all over the body, etc. The whole course of the disease is generally 4 to 7 days, and mild symptoms such as cough can last for several weeks. Most cases can heal on their own, and a few can progress to viral pneumonia with symptoms such as high fever and chest pain. Elderly people, children, and patients with chronic diseases with low immunity should be more vigilant about the critical type of influenza, such as respiratory failure, secondary heart, liver, kidney and other organ failure, which is life-threatening.

Mumps

Mumps, commonly known as "mumps", is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the mumps virus. It is common in children and adolescents, and is mainly manifested by general discomfort, fever, pain under the ear or at the mandibular angle, rapid swelling centered on the earlobe within 1 to 2 days, and pain when opening the mouth and chewing. The mumps virus is mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract in the form of droplets, and can also be transmitted through contact with objects infected with the virus. It is rare for mother-to-child transmission.

Meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis is a purulent meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis and spread through the respiratory tract. The main clinical symptoms are: sudden high fever, severe headache, frequent vomiting, petechiae on the skin and mucous membranes, and signs of meningeal irritation. In severe cases, there may also be sepsis, shock, and brain parenchymal damage. The clinical manifestations of meningococcal meningitis in infants and young children are atypical, and may include respiratory symptoms such as cough and digestive symptoms such as anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by beta-hemolytic streptococci. The incubation period is generally 1 to 7 days, accompanied by clinical characteristics such as fever, pharyngitis, diffuse rash all over the body, and skin desquamation after the rash subsides.

chicken pox

Chickenpox is an acute infectious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus infection. It mainly occurs in children, but the incidence rate of adults is also relatively high. Clinical manifestations include fever, red maculopapular rashes, herpes, and scabs on the skin and mucous membranes, mainly on the chest, abdomen, back, etc. It is worth noting that chickenpox is a highly contagious disease. The virus can be transmitted by contact or droplet inhalation. The infectious period is 1 to 2 days after the rash appears until the herpes is completely scabbed. During the onset period, attention should be paid to isolation and treatment to avoid infecting others.

measles

It is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the measles virus. The incubation period is generally 6 to 18 days. The main clinical symptoms are fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctival congestion, oral mucosal spots and extensive skin maculopapular rash. Measles generally recovers smoothly, but it can also cause serious complications such as measles encephalitis. Therefore, when you are sick, you should pay enough attention and go to the hospital for treatment in time.

Coronavirus disease

At present, COVID-19 is a new global infectious disease and one of the most common infectious diseases in spring. Due to its high infectiousness, we must strengthen protection and be extra careful. The main clinical symptoms of the disease are fever, dry cough and general fatigue. Many patients will also have other accompanying symptoms, and there are a few asymptomatic infections. Once symptoms such as fever appear, you should take the initiative to go to the fever clinic of the nearby COVID-19 designated hospital as soon as possible to achieve early diagnosis, early detection, early isolation, and early treatment to prevent problems before they occur.

2. Prevention of common infectious diseases in spring

Although different infectious diseases in spring have different symptoms and treatments, most of the transmission routes are respiratory and contact, so the basic preventive measures are the same. As long as you pay attention to the following points, you can effectively reduce the occurrence of such diseases and avoid cross-infection.

01

Inject relevant preventive vaccinations as required

Practice has proved that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent various infectious diseases in spring. You should go to the hospital's vaccination clinic for consultation regularly, and get relevant preventive vaccines in a timely manner according to the regulations to prevent problems before they occur.

02

Take multiple measures to prevent

Frequent ventilation

After the sun comes out in the morning, the air is relatively fresh. At this time, you should take the opportunity to open the windows for ventilation, maintain proper indoor air circulation and freshness every day, and create a healthy living environment.

Wash your hands frequently

Develop a good habit of washing your hands before meals, after going to the toilet, and after work. When washing your hands, first wet your hands with running water, apply hand sanitizer (or soap), put your palms together, rub your fingers together for a few seconds, and then wash them thoroughly with running water to prevent diseases from entering your hands.

Wear a mask

Practice has proved that wearing a mask when going out is the most effective way to prevent all kinds of infectious diseases. We should develop the good habit of wearing a mask when going out, especially in densely populated and enclosed places such as stations, hospitals, shopping malls, and cinemas. We must wear a mask to prevent accidents.

Less gatherings

In daily life, try to reduce the number of gatherings. When you have to have a gathering, be sure to use serving chopsticks and spoons to avoid cross-infection of some infectious diseases and prevent diseases from entering the body through the mouth.

Exercise regularly

Develop a good habit of exercising, and exercise for about 40 minutes every day, such as brisk walking, jogging, aerobics, Tai Chi, table tennis and other aerobic exercises suitable for middle-aged and elderly people, to continuously improve your immunity and ability to resist disease.

Focus on health

Pay attention to the combination of work and rest, maintain adequate sleep time, eat a proper diet, have a balanced nutrition, maintain an optimistic attitude, stay calm when encountering things, and don't hold grudges, so as to avoid a decrease in resistance to disease and lay a solid foundation for a healthy life.

Hygiene

Mobile phones, coins, express boxes, etc. are often hiding places for viruses and bacteria. Be sure to wash your hands in time after contact; try to avoid contact with infectious patients, and don't forget to disinfect items and rooms used by infectious patients in time, such as drying clothes and quilts in the sun, spraying and wiping door handles, tables, and floors in the room with chlorine-containing disinfectants, etc.

In short, although there are many types of infectious diseases in spring, as long as we do early prevention, early diagnosis, early detection, early isolation and early treatment, we can effectively block the spread and spread of infectious diseases and ensure our own health.

Author: Department of Emergency Medicine, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University

Han Rui Attending Physician