While there has been an increase in flu cases with the cooling of the weather, more than one virus has started to appear in the upper respiratory tract at the same time recently. Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Infectious Diseases Department Lecturer Prof. Dr. Oğuz Reşat Sipahi warned citizens about rhinovirus, RSV and influenza, which are seen together as a ‘triple virus’.
Sipahi said, “All three viruses can cause death, depending on variables such as the underlying disease, having been exposed to the disease recently, vaccination status and age. The damage caused by RSV and influenza in the respiratory tract may take longer than rhinovirus.”
‘VIRUSES INCREASED BECAUSE COVID MEASURES DECREASED’
Noting that the viruses seen together have increased, Sipahi said:
“Actually, this is a seasonal increase that we experienced in general during the Covid-19 period, that is, before 2020. The effects of the period when the weather got colder, the frequency of living in closed areas increased, the possibility of ventilation decreased, and the children began to go out of their classrooms less. The increase in cases abroad is also due to travel. The number of cases in our country is increasing. Respiratory Syncytial Virus, known as Rhinovirus and RSV, used to be quite common in the past. In this period, we can add the influenza virus to the list. With the effect of Covid vaccines, as the diagnosis of Covid-19 decreases and Covid precautions are reduced, there is a risk of rhinovirus, RSV and influenza. The activity area has been opened, so it seems that he has found the people he can infect more easily.”
‘COVID PRECAUTIONS APPLY’
Emphasizing that it is possible to distinguish these diseases with various methods, especially molecular tests, Sipahi said, “However, since it is expensive, there may be problems in the repayment of SSI. However, it can be applied easily in large hospitals. Therefore, RSV in Covid-19 patients and separately from them. It becomes difficult for us to know or estimate the frequency of influenza and rhinoviruses. We do not have comprehensive national data other than the flu surveillance data of the Ministry of Health. All the prevention methods and risk groups we know about Covid-19 are also valid for these diseases. Mask, distance, hand hygiene, attention to frequent ventilation Especially the elderly, those with additional diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and smokers are important risk factors. There is no RSV and rhinovirus vaccine, but annual repetition of influenza vaccine reduces the probability of death in risk groups. it’s critical to get vaccinated” ştu.
Source: DHA