Australian Flu – Italy is preparing to face a particularly intense flu season, with the first cases of the “Australian” variant already reported in Lombardy, Piedmont and Lazio. The H3N2 subtype of the influenza A strain, more virulent and aggressive than the H1N1 dominant last year, is causing concern in the medical community.
“We expect a fairly lively flu season”, warns virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco. “This immunoevasive variant of the A-H3N2 virus has a high capacity for diffusion and, above all, more severe effects on health than other influenza viruses.” The expert points out the possibility, albeit rare, of neurological involvement in fragile subjects, as confirmed by the case of a 76-year-old hospitalized at the Policlinico San Martino in Genoa, reported by infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti.
The distinctive symptoms of the “real flu”, Pregliasco specifies, there are three: “Fever over 38° with sudden onset, muscle and joint pain, and respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion.” The peak is expected during the Christmas holidays, favored by greater sociality. To distinguish the flu from Covid, which “it can manifest itself in very variable forms”, it is recommended to carry out Covid tests for the elderly and frail, who could benefit from specific antiviral drugs.
For everyone else, the advice is “responsible self-medication with anti-inflammatories, consulting your doctor if symptoms persist for more than 2-3 days, avoiding the preventive use of antibiotics”. Prevention through influenza vaccination, which also covers the H3N2 variant, remains crucial. “It's an opportunity for everyone”, underlines Pregliasco, “considering that even in young people the flu can cause 5-6 days of disability”. For frail subjects and the elderly, joint administration with the anti-vaccine is recommended.Covid, since the virus, “although less ‘bad’, it still causes 100 deaths per week.”
Article published on November 4, 2024 - 14:17
