1.30 pm, Basement OPD, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj: There’s a crowd of mothers, trying to calm their restless children in the crook of their arms. They all have varying degrees of fever, cough and stuffy nose, suspected to be suffering from the influenza virus that’s raging through our cities. Dr Manoj Sharma, senior consultant, Internal Medicine, is taking a small break after seeing patients non-stop through the morning. As soon as he resumes his consultation, a 30-year-old woman complains about high fever and is almost convinced it is Covid. He calms her down, saying all she needs to do is take standard medication for fever (Paracetamol), wear a mask and follow hand hygiene. He asks her to wait for three days for the fever to subside and report any breathing abnormalities or other complications that might arise even on Day 5.“The new strain of the influenza virus, H3N2, has regular flu symptoms like cough, congestion in throat, respiratory tract and lungs, sore throat, fever, headache, chills, body ache and fatigue. So we are asking patients to wear masks in order to prevent transmission and giving them symptomatic treatment,” says he. A senior patient, who has been waiting eagerly for his turn, complains of having extreme coughing bouts that make him retch. Dr Sharma advises him to take a flu vaccine shot. “The manifestation of the virus is severe in the elderly. Existing flu shots are not updated to counter this strain of the virus but if you have had a flu shot earlier, there could be some partial protection. Of course, if you take the flu shot now, it may not work in the current wave as your body would require four to six weeks to develop immunity. But we should all take the flu shots annually and those living with co-morbidities like diabetes and cardiac issues, should actually go for the pneumonia shot each year,” says he. The IMA has also stated that this virus usually preys on individuals below the age of 15 years or above 50 years of age. So vaccines are a must for both age groups.In between patients. Dr Sharma says that H3N2 is not new. “There was an outbreak in 1968-69 and caused a pandemic just like Covid did this time. It resulted in about four 4 million deaths as well. It remains in the community and whenever the community becomes more vulnerable, it resurfaces. Over a period of time, antigenic variations happen in every virus. The same happened with the influenza virus, which has been categorised into the A,B,C,D types. H3N2 is a sub-type of influenza A,” says he. “It’s not like there’s a resurgence of influenza. It’s just that Covid protocols and a collective preventive behaviour kept us away from it. Now with a less than calibrated social exposure, we have just encouraged the virus to circulate more. Besides, most of us have had Covid, which has compromised our immunity shield. That’s why we are susceptible to not just this strain but other viruses floating about. That’s why people are complaining of relapses because immunity against one kind of virus doesn’t mean you are protected against others,” he adds. Ninety per cent of people are reporting a lingering cough for three to four weeks, indicating how the body defences have weakened and are slowing down recovery.Do H3N2 patients require antiviral therapy? “Not at all. Only the elderly, the immuno-compromised, pregnant women, diabetics, those suffering from heart, lung and kidney disease need to be watched for such interventions. If the symptoms are mild, we don’t even go for testing. There’s no need to create unnecessary panic,” he adds. But what worries him more is the city’s pollution. “Pollutants scrape the respiratory lining of our lungs and alter it. The flu season will ebb but we will be perennially prone to contracting viral and bacterial infection. So we have to develop a new preventive social behaviour in a post-Covid world,” he says.
India is seeing a surge in viral infections due to H3N2, Covid-19, and swine flu or H1N1. While most of the cases are reportedly due to H3N2, data shows that swine flu and covid cases are also rising in the country. Covid cases as per the Ministry of Health’s latest data stand at 4,623 with an active caseload of 0.01% per cent. It also noted that till February 28, 2023, a total of 955 H1N1 cases have been reported, the majority from Tamil Nadu (545), Maharashtra (170), Gujarat (74), Kerala (42) and Punjab (28). Meanwhile, 451 cases of H3N2 variant cases have been reported from January 2 to March 5, 2023, according to the union ministry with 2 dead, each in Karnataka and Haryana. The latest case of H3N2 has been detected in Assam.Given that all of them are viral respiratory conditions, how do we distinguish between them and seek treatment?Notably, H1N1, previously called swine flu, is a virus similar to the influenza viruses that cause illness in pigs. On the other hand, flu, or the common cold, is quite frequent during seasonal changes and is, often, harmless. “There are more than 200-300 viruses that may cause the common cold. In each virus type, there can be subtypes and variants. The majority of the common colds are caused by rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, influenza type A and type B viruses, etc,” Dr Anantha Padmanabha, consultant, internal medicine, Fortis Hospital, Nagarbhavi told indianexpress.com in an earlier interaction. Covid-19, on the other hand, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is considered highly infectious.“Current spread and intensity of flue especially its variant H3N2 are very concerning. Medically, it is a double whammy as Covid-19 cases have started surfacing once again,” said Dr Manisha Arora, senior consultant, Internal Medicine at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute.While some may experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment, others may become seriously ill and require medical attention, especially older people and people with low immunity, or have co-morbidities.Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, director and head, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospitals, Faridabad told indianexpress.com that all viral respiratory illnesses have similar symptoms. “Clinically, it is difficult to differentiate if it is Covid or flu. However, there are some features, which can help in differentiating,” said Dr Jha.*H3N2 can cause hoarseness of voice, while in Covid-19, symptoms start with fever or stuffy nose.*In flu, body ache or myalgia is too much*Flu causes severe dry cough which lasts for a longer period than usual (up to 3 weeks)DiagnosisBoth Covid-19 and swine flu are diagnosed with the help of a nasopharyngeal swab, an oropharyngeal swab and a nasopharyngeal wash. Rapid tests are also available for both Covid-19 and the flu.What to doExperts recommend medications to help relieve the symptoms of the flu, such as fever, cough, and congestion. These include painkillers, nebulizers, cough suppressants, and other decongestants.Adequate rest and recovery are advised at home with simple home-cooked, fresh food, and proper hydration.Dr Jha recommended:*Follow covid-appropriate behaviour which will also protect you from the flu.*Annual influenza vaccination again helps in reducing flu-related complications.*Drink plenty of water and avoid unnecessary antibiotics, Dr Jha said. Concurring, Dr Arora said that due to a lack of awareness, people take antibiotics that are not effective against the flu, as it is a viral illness, not a bacterial infection. “Moreover, taking antibiotics unnecessarily can lead to antibiotic resistance and other harmful side effects. Superadded secondary infections which are diagnosed by well-trained physicians only need antibiotics,” Dr Arora noted.World Health Organization, too, recommends that the most effective way to prevent infection with any virus is to get vaccinated and follow prevention measures: “Maintaining at least a 1-metre distance from others, wearing a well-fitted mask when keeping your distance is not possible, avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated places and settings, opening windows and doors to keep rooms well ventilated and cleaning your hands frequently.”It also advises that people should follow the advice “of your local authorities on getting influenza and Covid-19 vaccines“.Noting that influenza viruses, including H3N2, can mutate and evolve rapidly which makes it difficult to develop a vaccine that provides complete protection against all strains, Dr Arora said that nevertheless, vaccinations are a critical tool in the fight against infectious diseases. “It can help particularly those who are at higher risk of severe illness, such as young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems,” said Dr Arora.📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
A new Covid virus combination has been discovered in two persons in Israel who had travelled abroad. According to a report in Israeli daily Haaretz, the virus is a combination of BA.1 (Omicron) and BA.2 variants. The report quoting the Israel health ministry as saying the patients exhibited symptoms that included fever, headaches and muscle aches. However, they did not need specialised medical care.The report quoted physician Salman Zarka noting that the two viruses tend to link up when both are contracted and if both are in the same cell in the body, they are said to generate a new virus as they multiply and exchange genetic material. Zarka had also reportedly said that the patients were a couple in their thirties who contracted the infection from their infant.Do people need to be concerned?Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, director and head, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospitals, Faridabad told indianexpress.com that there is nothing to worry about at present due to the new Covid variant. “The newer variant is a combination of milder variants that were extremely contagious but mildest in India. We simply need to follow the vaccination schedule. Nothing else is needed,” said Dr Jha.Adequate rest and recovery are advised at home with simple home-cooked, fresh food, and proper hydration.Dr Jha recommended*Covid vaccination*Flu vaccination*High protein diet*Covid-appropriate behaviour as precautionary measuresDr Shrey Srivastav, MD (Internal Medicine), Sharda Hospital mentioned that while people who are vaccinated need not panic, they should be careful while travelling, especially those going abroad. “People shouldn’t panic at this time if you are vaccinated. Wear masks in public places and gatherings where you don’t know the vaccination status of people around you. Get yourself booster doses for Covid vaccine,” said Dr Srivastav.He also emphasised that people who are immunocompromised, have pre-existing lung diseases, diabetes, kidney failure, liver diseases, cancer and are on chemotherapy, should continue to take extra precautions.The World Health Organization recommends that the most effective way to prevent infection from any virus is to get vaccinated and follow prevention measures: “Maintaining at least a 1-metre distance from others, wearing a well-fitted mask when keeping your distance is not possible, avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated places and settings, opening windows and doors to keep rooms well ventilated and cleaning your hands frequently.”📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
A new virus combination was discovered in two persons who had returned from abroad and landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport, reported local media on Thursday.According to the report in the Israeli daily Haaretz, the virus is a combination of BA.1 (Omicron) and BA.2 variants.The patients had symptoms that included fever, headaches and muscle aches. However, they did not need specialised medical care, said the report quoting the Israel health ministry.The report also quoted physician Salman Zarka as saying that two viruses tend to link up when both are contracted and if both are in the same cell in the body. They are said to generate a new virus as they multiply and exchange genetic material.Zarka had also reportedly said that the patients were a couple in their thirties who contracted the infection from their infant.Meanwhile, the Union Health Secretary of India has written to six states — Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat — which account for most of the increase in new Covid-19 and seasonal flu cases.
Journalist Shashikant Warishe was hit by an SUV allegedly driven by Pandharinath AmberkarMumbai: A land dealer accused of mowing down a journalist in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district also faces four more criminal cases, including one in which he allegedly tried to run over an anti-refinery activist, a police official said on Friday.Local activists who are protesting against a proposed refinery near Rajapur in the coastal Ratnagiri district claimed that had the police acted sternly in the earlier cases, the latest incident could have been avoided.Journalist Shashikant Warishe (48) was seriously injured on Monday when an SUV allegedly driven by Pandharinath Amberkar hit his two-wheeler near a petrol pump at Rajapur, some 440 km from Mumbai.Warishe died in hospital the next day. An article written by Warishe against Amberkar had appeared in a local Marathi newspaper on the morning of the incident.It has been alleged that Amberkar, now arrested and booked for murder, used to threaten any person who opposed land acquisition for a proposed refinery in the area.In April 2020, Warishe's SUV had allegedly hit the two-wheeler of activist Manoj Mayekar in Nate area of the district. Mayekar spent two weeks in hospital due to the injuries, said a police official.Mayekar was among activists opposed to Barsu refinery project.An FIR was registered against Amberkar after the incident and a trial is now underway. However, there was no allegation then that it had anything to do with Mayekar's opposition to the proposed refinery, the police official said.Of the other three previous cases against Amberkar, two were of assault and rioting while a third one was about violation of COVID-related norms, he said. He was convicted in the COVID-19-related case.Activists of the Barsu-Solgaon Panchakroshi Refinery Virodhi Sanghatna on Friday claimed that Amberkar and his aides had attacked them near the Rajapur court last year because of their opposition to the refinery project.Narendra Joshi, secretary of the organisation, told PTI that the incident occurred on September 12, 2022. An FIR was registered in the case."If local police had taken the offence seriously and had initiated stern action against Amberkar, he would not have dared commit another serious offence and Warishe would have been alive," Joshi said.Warishe wrote regularly against the refinery project, he added.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMeanwhile, in Mumbai, journalists staged a protest over Warishe's murder near the Mantralaya, and demanded that the case be fast-tracked. They also demanded that the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act be invoked in the case.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)Featured Video Of The Day"Punished For No Fault": Congress MP On Being Suspended From Rajya Sabha
Shashikant Warishe, 48, was run over at a petrol station in Ratnagiri on Tuesday.Mumbai: The death of a journalist in Maharashtra has triggered shock, anger and demands for an investigation. Shashikant Warishe, 48, was run over at a petrol station in Ratnagiri on Tuesday, a day after he wrote an expose on a controversial refinery project in Konkan. The man allegedly driving the SUV was Pandharinath Amberkar, a land dealer who had featured in his article on Monday.Mr Warishe died in a hospital. Amberkar, 42, has been arrested and charged with murder. He was initially charged with culpable homicide.Mr Warishe's Monday article in the Mahanagari Times had described Amberkar as a "criminal" who had been photographed with top leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.Amberkar is said to be a supporter of the Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical project that Shashikant Warishe had written about in a series of articles in Marathi newspapers.Several media organisations have demanded a probe into Mr Warishe's death, alleging that he was killed because of his stories on the multi-billion-dollar project that has been strongly opposed by many locals over land acquisition.Pandharinath Amberkar, 42, has been arrested and charged with murder. He was initially charged with culpable homicide.In a statement last evening, the Mumbai Press Club said the "brutal, public murder" brought to light the "plummeting standards of civil liberties and free speech and brazen attempt by both state and non-state players to crush any media reporting that proves to be inconvenient."Mr Warishe had written several reports highlighting "the local resistance to a petroleum refinery in Barsu" and had recently pointed out banners where Amberkar featured alongside the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister, the statement said."Amberkar, a leader of the local land mafia, was known to threaten and harass those who resisted any land acquisition on behalf of the upcoming refinery," the Mumbai Press Club alleged.A group of Marathi journalists also met with Devendra Fadnavis, who is Maharashtra's Home Minister, to press for an investigation.The Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical project, earlier planned at Nanar village in Ratnagiri district in coastal Konkan, was scrapped before the 2019 national election at the instance of the Shiv Sena, which was then in an alliance with the ruling BJP.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThe Centre last year hinted at reviving the project at another site.Rights organisation People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL) has called for a "totally independent" probe "free of any influence" and protection for the journalist's family and witnesses.