They have recorded an unusual rise in influenza A cases for this time of year: When does the vaccination start?

I couldn’t get out of bed. “I had a fever of 40 degrees.” “I have many friends like that.” “My brother has trouble breathing and had a bad time.” Stories are repeated more and more and intertwine with family, friends, acquaintances or co-workers. In recent weeks there has been an increase in Cases of people who had symptoms usually associated with Covid-19, but tested negative at the time of testing. In the face of confusion and a lack of information in this regard, some officials and health authorities provided an explanation for this.

“We have detected a spike in rare H3N2 flu cases at this time of year. It’s something that has also happened in countries in the region like Brazil. We have a commitment from the country’s Ministry of Health that the vaccine will arrive at the end of the month and we will be able to start vaccinating against influenza, starting with health workers and the groups most at risk, “said the President of the Ministry of Health of Buenos Aires Nicholas Creplak of the Ministry. Directed by Carla Vizzotti, however, there was no response.

From City Ministry of Healthin the meantime, to Nation In recent weeks, there has also been an increase in cases of influenza. They added that this growth in the number of infections occurs earlier than usual because the rise usually occurs in the coldest months of the year. In addition, they indicated that influenza vaccination will begin next month.

At the German hospital, they took note of the situation. there, Not only do they take swabs for Covid, but they also do it to detect influenza. According to their health authorities, the symptoms are very similar. Although they do not have a specific number yet to distinguish a coefficient for people with influenza H3N2Due to the presence of other respiratory viruses, rest assured that the positivity for Covid tests is currently only about 10%. This means that the rest can have the flu.

“That influenza appeared so early in the year is amazing, but the fact is that in the years leading up to the pandemic, we were not able to diagnose influenza at this time; it only passed as a respiratory viral illness. We cannot say that this year there is much more than it used to be.” In the years before the pandemic. Yes, there is a noticeable increase in the number of cases compared to previous weeks‘,” explains Dr. Christina Froeller, the institution’s chief of internal medicine.

Ricardo Tejero, an infectious disease scientist at Perufano Hospital and a member of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases, agrees. “We’re seeing an increase, but it doesn’t go much further and doesn’t cause the risk of complications.”

In addition, the specialist calls for caution since then Citizens do not take it lightly or attribute the disease without consulting a doctor first, the only one who can determine. “Let’s not forget that symptoms are common in many respiratory diseases,” he said.

Marcos, 28, Fernando, 31, and Juliana, 21, are patients who describe similar symptoms. Fever above 39°C, severe muscle fatigue, headache, nasal congestion, cough, and shortness of breath. All three live in AMBA. It starts with muscle discomfort at night and coughing. After three days of fever and inability to move, Marcus says. Once my temperature went down, I felt bad for several more days.”

“I had a worse time than I did with Covid; Last night [del sábado] I ended up under observation, but before that I went to four other hospitals in the city and none of them came with me on request‘ says Ferdinand.

Precautions should have been greater for Juliana due to pre-existing respiratory diseases: bronchospasm and allergic rhinitis, the control of which depends on a daily dose. “I’ve had two tests. Last Monday saliva and it gave me negative. Another one on Friday, but a smear, and same result.” I am now isolated from symptoms of fever and cough with a lot of mucus“.

Like Marcos and Fernando, she highlighted excessive sweating caused by changes in body temperature: “It’s a fever that goes up and down brutally. You wake up sweating, but the fever can come back.”

H3N2 influenza is a “seasonal influenza type A” caused by the spread of the influenza A virus. It originated more than 60 years ago, during an epidemic in Hong Kong in the late 1960s. However, viruses mutate into new strains over time. What we see today in Argentina, it has already made strong progress in the last months of 2021 in Latin America, especially in Brazil, as well as in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Peru. In our country, in addition to CABA and the province of Buenos Aires, alerts have also been raised in other regions such as Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe and Córdoba.

In order to avoid further confusion, Dr. Froeller points out that there are two groups of influenza types: A and B. “All viruses are classified and classified based on the H or N proteins they contain. The famous influenza A that caused a lot of fear and illness to us belongs to group A H1N1. The virus we see now is also A but H3. This virus has been contemplated in vaccines for the past couple of years, so those who have put it on come in handy.

However, Teijero has been warning about this since March 2020 Vaccination schedules for other diseases not caused by COVID have changed. “If we do not correct the scheme with other vaccines in time, We risk that diseases we already had under control will complicate us again‘, she says.

Vaccination is necessaryFor people over 65, smokers, people with weak immunity, people with muscle problems, and children under 4 years old‘, adds the Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at the German Hospital.

In addition to thinking that it is influenza during its most common seasons (fall and winter), doctors assert that within two years of the pandemic there has been a decrease in other viruses due to prevention and confinement. “They are out of circulation for Covid. Draw the attention of all infectious scientists and It was due to reduced social contact, mainly. In other words, in addition to Covid, the flu was avoided,” says Tijiro.

For Früller, “This speaks to the fact that two years ago we were not exposed to the influenza virus that caused it We may be more sensitive now“.

In collaboration with Alejandro Horvat