Flu season
Flu – is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by influenza viruses, spreading through airborne droplets. It is one of the most common epidemic diseases, as people's susceptibility to the flu is quite high.
The infection spreads most rapidly in small, poorly ventilated, dust-contaminated spaces.
Flu season – is a period usually lasting from the 40th calendar week of the year to the 20th calendar week of the following year. The aim of flu epidemiological surveillance is to assess the incidence of flu and acute upper respiratory tract infections, dynamics, to identify prevailing and new flu viruses, to predict epidemics, and to timely apply infectious disease prevention.
It is observed that every year 5-10% of the population gets the flu. In Lithuania, an increase in flu incidence is observed during the autumn-winter season.
Symptoms and complications
Not every cold or viral respiratory tract infection is the flu. Also, flu signs and symptoms can manifest individually for each person, but the following are the most common:
- Fever;
- Headache;
- Muscle and joint pain, bone “breaking”;
- Cough and sore throat;
- Runny or stuffy nose;
- General fatigue and weakness;
- One of the flu symptoms in children may be vomiting and diarrhea.
This disease can be dangerous due to flu complications such as pneumonia, eye inflammation, bronchitis, sinusitis, myocarditis, encephalitis, meningitis, exacerbation of chronic diseases, etc.
Prevention and flu vaccination
The most effective measure of flu prevention – vaccination with the seasonal flu vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine is newly developed every year, taking into account the circulating types of flu viruses.
We invite you to get vaccinated against the flu at the “Rezus” clinic before the flu season starts, i.e., at the end of September-October, but vaccination against the flu is carried out throughout the season. It takes about two weeks to develop a sufficient amount of antibodies.
One should not forget other flu protection measures, such as hand hygiene, it is advised not to touch the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands, to observe coughing and sneezing hygiene, to ventilate rooms, to stay home if flu symptoms appear, and to avoid contact with sick individuals. Of course, it is always important to consistently care for and strengthen your health, even without seasonal diseases like flu or cold.
