Special Note: In April 2009, the “swine flu” or Influenza A (H1N1) broke out from Mexico and quickly spread to many countries and regions around the world. Although no cases have been reported in mainland China so far, there is one confirmed case in Hong Kong tonight (May 1), indicating that the flu is close to us! In order to let more people know about flu-related knowledge, I am putting an article I published in Family Doctor 1 year ago online for reference. Also because of the special nature of the flu epidemic this year, I have supplemented or explained last year’s article, and the supplemented or explained part is in red font. As early as 412 B.C. in the ancient Greek period, mankind has already recorded about influenza. But when the general public talks about plague, they usually think of only AIDS, anthrax, plague…, but leave out influenza. In fact, looking back at the history of mankind, influenza (influenza for short) is one of the cruelest “killers”, it is an acute respiratory infection that can “kill more people in a short period of time than any other disease in human history”. The famous influenza pandemic “Spanish Flu” at the beginning of the last century alone – that is, from 1918 to 1920 – caused the death of 20-40 million people worldwide, much more than the number of deaths caused by World War I. World War I (8.5 million deaths). The number of U.S. soldiers who died in 1918 as a result of the pandemic (55,868) was greater than the number who died in World War I (50,385). Throughout the 20th century, there were four influenza pandemics worldwide, each of which had a great political and economic impact on society as a whole. Influenza is mainly spread through airborne droplets. Influenza viruses are transmitted to others through droplets produced when a person sneezes, coughs or speaks. The energy of a small sneeze cannot be underestimated, as a single sneeze can cause droplets to be ejected up to 6 meters away at a speed of 167 kilometers per hour. In the absence of air circulation, influenza will spread at a very fast rate. It has been reported that during a 4-hour flight, one influenza patient infected 72% of the passengers on the plane. Due to the strong contagiousness of influenza, coupled with the development of modern transportation, dense population and other factors, once the influenza pandemic occurs, it will be like a tropical storm, regardless of national boundaries, and can sweep the world in a very short period of time. Alert: Don’t treat influenza as “SARS” Influenza often breaks out in the cold autumn and winter seasons. Its typical manifestations are sudden onset of high fever, body temperature up to 39℃ or more, headache, muscle aches or joint pains, some patients may be accompanied by sore throat, nasal congestion and cough. However, in general, the systemic symptoms are heavy while the respiratory symptoms are mild. If no complications occur, these symptoms can last for 7 to 10 days. Severe influenza can lead to complications such as pneumonia, and if the patient is old and frail or an infant, and if treatment is not timely, influenza can become a life-threatening killer. People who have experienced the SARS disaster are very worried about whether they are infected with SARS when they have symptoms such as fever, cough and general aches and pains in winter and autumn. Although the clinical manifestations of SARS and influenza are very similar, there are also the following differences: The pathogens (viruses) of the two are different Influenza is an acute infectious disease caused by the influenza virus, while the pathogen of SARS is currently considered to be a new coronavirus. Influenza is highly contagious and can be transmitted by airborne droplets, i.e., it can be transmitted over long distances, resulting in many people being infected in a short period of time and even spreading across the country and the world. The manifestations, severity and prognosis are different. When influenza develops, systemic symptoms such as chills, high fever, headache, muscle aches and pains are prominent, and respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose and sore throat may also appear. However, SARS does not have symptoms such as runny nose and sore throat as influenza, and patients often have shortness of breath or even dyspnea, especially when the clinical symptoms are not yet severe, but the chest X-ray already shows a shadow in the patient’s lungs and a rapid development trend; from the limited clinical data available, the morbidity and mortality rate of SARS may be higher than that of influenza. There may be differences in the duration of immunity after illness. After recovering from influenza, a person may develop immunity to the same type of influenza virus for about 1 year, but not to other types of influenza viruses, so a person may have influenza several times in his or her life; it is unclear whether SARS infection produces effective immunity and how long it lasts. There are differences in treatment methods. There is no specific treatment for either disease. However, for influenza patients, early administration of amantadine, amantadine, and oseltamivir (Tamiflu) (influenza A, which started in Mexico in 2009, is resistant to amantadine and amantadine, but sensitive to oseltamivir) may help relieve symptoms and shorten the course of the disease. The focus of preventive measures is different For influenza, the focus of prevention is on timely and effective influenza vaccination, in addition to taking drugs such as amantadine, amantadine and oseltamivir (Tamiflu), which also have some preventive effect against influenza. For SARS, prevention focuses on timely detection and isolation of patients, as well as observation of close contacts. Calm down: when the flu is “holding hands” with you When you or your family members are unfortunate enough to have the flu, there is no need to be overly nervous, let alone panic and make faint moves. You should know that although the flu is scary, modern medicine is confident enough to subdue it as long as you follow your doctor’s instructions as follows! Isolation of the patient Place the patient in an isolation ward or at home for a period of 1 week or 2 days after the fever has subsided; the purpose of isolation is not only to prevent the spread of influenza, but also very beneficial to the patient’s recovery, as isolation allows the patient to rest better while reducing secondary bacterial infections that may be caused by contact with others. Early application of anti-influenza medication Anti-influenza medication can only be used early to achieve the best results. At present, the main clinical drugs for influenza are amantadine, amantadine, and the newly approved imported drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in China in recent years, all of which have certain side effects, so they must be used as prescribed by doctors. Chinese herbal medicine is also unique in the treatment of influenza. (This year’s influenza A pandemic is resistant to amantadine and amantadine, so treatment should begin within 48 hours of onset of illness with oseltamivir, and Chinese herbal medicine can also be used to treat influenza). Appropriate application of symptomatic drugs Early application of anti-influenza virus drugs can effectively improve most of the symptoms. If the disease is late or there is no condition to apply antiviral drugs, symptomatic treatment can be applied, such as antipyretic drugs, drugs to relieve nasal mucous membrane congestion, and cough expectorant drugs. Aspirin or aspirin-containing drugs and other salicylic acid preparations are contraindicated in children. Enhance supportive treatment and prevent complications Rest, drink plenty of water, pay attention to nutrition and a diet that is easy to digest, especially in children and elderly patients. Observe and monitor complications closely, and apply antibiotics only when there is clear or sufficient evidence to suggest a secondary bacterial infection. Fortunately, we have three weapons to prevent influenza: 1. vaccine; 2. medication; 3. healthy lifestyle, which allow us to resolutely refuse the “appointment” of influenza. The second part: three weapons, the “iron wall” to prevent influenza Vaccination, the most effective prevention Influenza vaccination is currently recognized as the most effective way to prevent influenza, especially for children, the elderly, the weak and sickly, is a cost-effective preventive measures. With the introduction of the influenza vaccine, people have become more reactive in preventing influenza. However, many people are still uncertain about whether or not to receive the flu vaccine. Some people ask, “The Ministry of Health is only asking people to get the vaccine voluntarily, not mandatorily, so does that mean I can get it or not?” The fact that people are being asked to get the vaccine voluntarily reflects a scientific attitude. Because the flu vaccine is designed to predict the influenza virus that will be epidemic, so when the prediction is not accurate, the flu vaccine may not play a preventive role (as in the case of this year’s flu epidemic, people could not predict the H1N1 epidemic in advance, so the previous flu vaccination is unable to prevent the epidemic, and the flu vaccine for this flu from the development to clinical use still needs (It took some time for the influenza vaccine to be developed for clinical use); and the protective effect produced by the influenza vaccination appeared only 1 week after vaccination and largely disappeared after about 1 year. Therefore, the influenza vaccine has an uncertain preventive effect, a short duration of protection, and is relatively expensive, so the principle of voluntary vaccination is emphasized. It is important to note that even if a person is infected with influenza, his or her symptoms are much less severe than those of unvaccinated persons and the incidence of complications can be reduced, and the influenza vaccine can reduce the rate of influenza-related hospitalization and death. Young children, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases and frailties are often prone to complications and higher death rates if they are infected with influenza, so the above-mentioned groups are the key targets for influenza vaccination. Medical workers, staff of nursing homes, elderly care centers and child care institutions, service industry workers, especially cab drivers, civil aviation, railroad and highway transportation staff, commercial and tourism service workers, and people who travel frequently for business or at home and abroad are recommended for influenza vaccination because they have more chances to be infected with influenza and are prone to the spread of influenza virus after infection. These people are recommended candidates for influenza vaccination. However, influenza vaccination should be prohibited for people with the following conditions: (1) those who are allergic to eggs or other components of the vaccine; (2) patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome; (3) pregnant women within 3 months of pregnancy (pregnant women over 3 months of pregnancy should be used with caution); (4) patients with acute febrile illnesses; (5) people with chronic disease onset; (6) people with severe allergies; (7) children under 12 years of age who cannot use whole virus inactivated vaccine; and (8) people who are not considered suitable by doctors for (8) Those who are considered unsuitable for vaccination. During an influenza epidemic, prophylactic anti-influenza drugs such as amantadine, amantadine, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and traditional Chinese medicine can also be used as a preventive measure under the guidance of a doctor. Amantadine or amantadine, taken orally 0.1 g twice daily for 7 to 10 days, can reduce the incidence of influenza. The side effects of these two drugs include nervousness, anxiety, inattention and mild headache, with a higher incidence of amantadine than amantadine. Gastrointestinal reactions mainly manifest as nausea and vomiting, these side effects are generally mild and most of them can disappear quickly after stopping the medication. Driving or working at height should be avoided while taking the drug. (It should not be chosen for the prevention of this flu because of known drug resistance). Use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for influenza prophylaxis: The recommended prophylactic dose during the epidemic season is 75 mg once daily for 6 weeks. The recommended prophylactic dose for adults in close contact with influenza patients is 75 mg once daily for at least 7 days, and should be started within 2 days of contact with the patient. No dose adjustment is required for healthy elderly people, but it is not recommended for children under 1 year of age. Common adverse reactions are nausea and vomiting, which are mostly transient and appear after the first dose and disappear after 1 to 2 days of continued dosing. (Prophylactic medication is only indicated for high-risk groups and is not recommended for everyone). Besides the above anti-influenza drugs can be used to prevent influenza, some scholars suggest that because thymidine can promote the development, differentiation and maturation of T lymphocytes, which are the main effector cells to fight against infection, especially against viral infection. Therefore, people with low immune function, especially middle-aged and old people whose thymus gland has started to atrophy, using thymus peptide can enhance and regulate their immune function, which is beneficial to the prevention of influenza. Good habits to keep healthy A healthy lifestyle and self-preventive measures during the flu epidemic can help people prevent the flu. In daily life, maintain a good state of mind, pay attention to balanced nutrition, and adhere to proper exercise to enhance physical fitness and improve resistance to disease. Every morning, after waking up, it is advisable to open the windows in the living room for fresh air. After work, the office should also pay attention to indoor air circulation, ventilation is the best disinfection. Do not adjust the indoor air conditioning temperature too high in winter, and wear warm clothes when you go out to prevent cold and flu; if the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is large, it is appropriate to stay at the door for a few moments, so that the body can have a process of adaptation. Insist on drinking more water, and it is recommended to eat some vinegar and garlic in moderation when eating meals every day. Pay attention to the combination of work and rest to avoid overexertion. Wearing a mask is a simple and easy preventive measure. Everyone should practice good hygiene, wash their hands regularly, and do not spit or blow their nose to reduce the chance of spreading influenza. During influenza epidemic, go to crowded public places and crowded places (such as theaters, shopping malls, fairs, etc.) as little as possible, and stop all large gatherings and activities when there is a major influenza epidemic.