There has been an increase in flu cases recently. Regarding the flu, which gives almost the same symptoms as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Health Sciences University Faculty Member and Ankara City Hospital Emergency Medicine Clinic Education Officer Prof. Dr. Hakan Oguzturk made statements. prof. Dr. Oğuztürk explained that the symptoms and the contagious period of the flu take longer than Omicron.
ATTENTION TO THESE SYMPTOMS!
Experts have recently announced that H1N1 or H3N2, as it is known among the people, swine flu cases have been observed in clinics.
Making statements about this issue, stating that they also encountered findings in their own clinical tables, Health Sciences University Faculty Member and Ankara City Hospital Emergency Medicine Clinic Education Responsible Prof. Dr. Hakan Oğuztürk said, “We are in a period when it is mandatory to live in closed environments. Unfortunately, the winter season poses a risk in terms of respiratory diseases and we are currently experiencing these problems in the middle of the winter season. We are going through an important period due to the fact that the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 disease is predominantly infecting, and that there is a flu season, seasonal flu and this, including swine flu. Unfortunately, both the symptoms of the Covid-19 disease, the symptoms of seasonal flu, and the symptoms of the H1N1 and H3N2 subgroups, which we call swine flu, are quite similar to each other. When these complaints and symptoms are present, the person should go to a health institution and get tested. With the PCR test, he can detect whether he has been infected with Covid-19 disease with at least one Omicron variant. Already, the Ministry of Health’s recommendations for people with complaints to have a PCR test continue. If a person has complaints such as headache, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, weakness, malaise, fever, the risk of getting sick with any of the upper respiratory tract infections is quite high. It could be seasonal flu, it could be swine flu, it could be an Omicron variant Covid-19 disease. For this reason, these people should apply to the hospital at the earliest time when their complaints started.”
“THE FLU TAKES LONGER THAN OMICRON”
Reminding that the incubation period is reduced in the Omicron variant, Prof. Dr. Oğuztürk said, “If you are the Omicron variant; If you do not start your treatment in a very short time and do not take the isolation measures, you risk infecting many people with the disease. In such diseases, early initiation of treatment is essential to prevent prolonged complaints. You need to go to the hospital immediately. Therefore, before going to the hospital, we cannot clearly distinguish whether people with such complaints have seasonal flu, swine flu, or Omicron variant Covid-19 disease by looking at the clinical findings. In the Omicron variant, the incubation period can vary from 1-2 days to 1-3 days. It’s less than the Delta variant. There is a similar process in flu diseases. But as it is known from the Omicron variant, the complaints are slightly milder than the flu diseases. In other words, your complaints may have regressed or even disappeared within a week, and the risk of contagion approaches zero. But not so with the flu. According to our clinical experience, the flu may take a little longer than the Omicron variant. In this sense, we can talk about such a difference between the Omicron variant and the flu. The clinical symptoms are really similar to each other and we have to differentiate with the laboratory analysis,” he said.
“CAUSES DEATH”
Pointing out that the transmission routes of seasonal flu, swine flu and Covid-19 are common, Oğuztürk said, “If we want to be protected from the flu, we can protect ourselves from Covid-19 and from swine flu in the same way with the methods of protection we will do. The same principles must be followed. We know that individual measures are the most important parameter in the protection of hygiene rules, especially the use of masks, distance and disinfectant. Here, getting both flu vaccine and Covid-19 vaccines is as important as individual measures. In this sense, it should not be forgotten that. Flus are not so innocent diseases either. Influenza causes death in humans. Many people die from both swine flu and seasonal flu. In this sense, if you are in the risk group, the flu disease can also cause you to die. We can keep all of these viruses away from us by applying common protection methods.
Source: UAV