Influenza - a common disease that can be deadly

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu has died at the age of 49 from flu and pneumonia while traveling to Japan with her family. Every year, the world records hundreds of thousands of deaths related to seasonal flu, like Ms. Barbie Hsu.

Dr. Le Quoc Hung, Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases, Cho Ray Hospital, explained that influenza is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. The disease can cause many dangerous complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis media, myocarditis, etc. In particular, pneumonia progresses very quickly and severely, and can take the lives of patients, especially those with weak immune systems such as children, the elderly, people with underlying diseases, autoimmune diseases, people who overwork, pregnant women, etc.

Depending on the type of virus, influenza can cause symptoms and progression of different severity, according to Dr. Hung. The three strains of influenza virus that affect humans are influenza A, B, and C. Of these, influenza A is the most common and causes dangerous complications, leading to many epidemics and pandemics in many countries. This strain of influenza often combines H and N antigens to create pathogens such as H5N1, H3N2, H1N1, etc. Influenza A often has new variants that change every year and are highly contagious.

At the end of last year, Binh Dinh recorded 4 deaths after contracting influenza A. They were all over 50 years old, had many underlying diseases such as high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and were hospitalized late. Previously, a 21-year-old male student in Khanh Hoa also died from influenza A/H5N1, who had been trapping wild birds - an epidemiological factor that could have spread the disease.

Influenza B also often causes sporadic outbreaks, but is not as severe as influenza A. Influenza C is very rare, usually causing only mild symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, and goes away after a few days.

"Clinically, it is very difficult for doctors to distinguish which strain of flu a patient is infected with because the initial symptoms are often inflammation of the respiratory tract causing sudden high fever, headache, body aches, chills, sore throat, dry cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and loss of appetite," said Dr. Hung.

Most of these symptoms disappear on their own after about 7-10 days. Usually when the patient becomes seriously ill and is hospitalized due to chest pain and difficulty breathing, the doctor will conduct tests to determine which strain of flu is causing the illness.

Dr. Truong Huu Khanh, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Infectious Diseases Association, noted that people with influenza should go to the hospital immediately and should not be subjective when facing serious symptoms such as high fever, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath. In addition to complications of pneumonia, people with influenza can easily die from secondary infections with other dangerous bacteria and viruses.

Influenza is spread through the respiratory tract, through airborne droplets, droplets of saliva or nasal secretions of patients containing influenza virus through coughing and sneezing. The virus enters the body through the nose and throat. The rate of spread is stronger when there is direct and close contact, especially in crowded places such as schools and kindergartens. In cold and humid weather conditions, people's respiratory cells are vulnerable, increasing susceptibility to the disease.

Doctors recommend preventing the flu by getting vaccinated every year, especially for people in high-risk groups. Disinfect, clean the throat, and maintain oral hygiene every day. Wear a mask, avoid crowded places, and avoid contact with people at risk of having the flu. Wash your hands regularly. Eat and rest properly to build resistance and avoid catching a cold in the elderly.

When you have the flu, you need to drink plenty of water, ensure adequate nutrition, and take time to rest to increase your resistance to the disease.