Swine flu: how dangerous is the virus for Russians and how to identify it

On November 18, 2022, Russians were warned of an increase in the activity of SARS, swine flu and coronavirus in the country. According to Rospotrebnadzor, at the moment the incidence rates are low, but the virus can be dangerous.

The experts explained that the symptoms of swine flu are very similar to the symptoms of coronavirus, while the treatment of these diseases is different. About the correct detection of the virus and the features of its treatment – in the material REN TV.

Activation of swine flu in Russia

On November 18, 2022, Rospotrebnadzor warned of an increase in the activity of SARS, swine flu and coronavirus in Russia. According to the agency, the incidence rates are still low, but with the onset of the autumn-winter period, vaccination is extremely important.

“The activity of influenza viruses A (H1N1) 2009, A (H3N2) and B is increasing. The variants of A (H3N2) and B strains identified this year differ from those that circulated in the previous epidemiological season,” – told “Izvestia” in Rospotrebnadzor.

The agency also warned that the A(H1N1) swine flu strain, which showed “significant pandemic potential during swine flu in 2009”, poses a significant threat to public health.

Experts noted that influenza is especially dangerous for children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

Swine flu is a disease caused by influenza virus strains A(H1N1), A(H1N2), A(H3N1), A(H3N2), A(H2N3). The virus is common in domestic pigs, but can be transmitted to humans and birds. In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a swine flu pandemic, with 255,716 cases reported in 140 regions of the world.

swine flu symptoms

In conversation with REN TV Deputy Director for Clinical and Analytical Work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor Natalya Pshenichnaya noted that the symptoms of swine flu and coronavirus are very similar, while the methods of treating these diseases are different.

“There are no clear symptoms that could differentiate swine flu and coronavirus. These diseases can never be differentiated by clinical symptoms, Wheat said. – The differences are very vague: someone has the flu with a high temperature, and the coronavirus is milder; for someone, on the contrary, the symptoms of coronavirus are accompanied by a rise in temperature to 39 degrees and severe intoxication, and the flu is easier to endure.

According to the interlocutor REN TV, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain can be with any respiratory infection. In order to make a diagnosis and start the correct treatment, laboratory diagnostics is necessary, the specialist explained.

“Therapy for influenza and coronavirus differs significantly. In no case should you self-medicate, at the first symptoms of the disease you need to see a doctor, immediately do tests for all respiratory infections and receive the right therapy with the appointments of specialists,” – said the representative of Rospotrebnadzor.

Swine flu treatment

The fundamental point in the treatment of swine flu is timeliness, says Natalia Pshenichnaya.

“Now more than ever, it is fundamentally important to conduct laboratory testing on the very first day of illness and clearly understand which infection caused the symptoms in the upper respiratory tract,” the doctor explained.

The expert emphasized that at present it is very risky and dangerous to self-medicate, since a completely different disease may be revealed that requires a different therapy.

“I already had patients when the same CT scan had ground glasses and showed a lesion of 20–25%, and the laboratory sent a result that this patient had H1N1 influenza (swine flu. – Note. REN TV), and people were already going to buy drugs for the treatment of COVID-19″, – shared the details of the representative of Rospotrebnadzor.

Pshenichnaya explained that universal drugs are prescribed only for mild illness in patients who do not have risk factors for severe illness.

“If these are patients who require a serious personalized approach, and they have concomitant diseases, then an individual approach and differentiated therapy are already needed here,” – said the specialist.

swine flu vaccination

According to Pshenichnaya, the 2009 swine flu that caused the pandemic is still circulating and is also affecting the lower respiratory tract, causing viral pneumonia.

“Since 2009, the swine flu strain has not changed much, it mutates, but not very much,” – emphasized the deputy director for clinical and analytical work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor.

In this regard, according to the expert, the swine flu vaccine continues to be effective.

“The effectiveness of the vaccine is about 90–95%, the most important thing is that it protects against those strains of the influenza virus that are expected this year and that have already arrived,” – said the specialist.

Pshenichnaya also stressed that it takes at least two to three weeks to develop immunity against swine flu.

About flu season

In turn, infectious disease specialist, pediatrician Evgeny Timakov spoke about the flu season and its waves. He noted that the flu season was warned in advance, including Rospotrebnadzor.

“This year, the increase in the incidence of influenza was assumed to be earlier. Unfortunately, we see at the moment that the flu really came to us earlier than other epidemic seasons. This is due to the peculiarity of the circulation of influenza in the Southern Hemisphere, from where it comes to us. This is also due to the fact that we have specific immunity after suffering a coronavirus infection. , made such a stop that we had no influenza virus for two years, ” the expert explained.

In his opinion, there will be several waves of the flu season – before the New Year, after the New Year and in the spring.