Seasonal flu 2012-2013: when to wait for it and what to do?

"Flu", translated from the Greek word "flu" - enough - it's a viral infection, which at least a week takes us out of action. Every year, doctors are trying to invent new flu vaccines, and every year the insidious virus changes its properties - old vaccines do not work on it anymore. Therefore, the seasonal flu of 2013, as doctors believe, will still defeat many. If you are currently suffering from flu symptoms, this article can help you better understand what to do with them. Those who are not currently exposed to harmful virus, it will be useful to learn how to protect themselves from seasonal influenza.

Read also: Flu 2014: Know the enemy in person

Season of influenza 2012 - an element of unpredictability

According to the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the influenza season is usually unpredictable, although epidemics occur every year. For the most part, the flu season comes around the world every year, and in the autumn it progresses, and we spend more and more time sick in bed.

This year in Ukraine, according to doctors, until the peak of the general flu is very little time. And at the same time, when the population knows exactly what the flu is, this year already had a million residents of Ukraine - vaccination against influenza makes only 1% of people who care for themselves. It is worth noting about the 2013 flu season, which by the end of November, the flu can enter into force in large numbers. Usually the most signals about the incidence of influenza are recorded from the Lugansk and Kiev regions.

According to preliminary data of physicians, the most "popular" strains of flu this year will be "viskinson" and "victoria". They already attacked people last year, but doctors expect them to attack in the 2013 season.

World Flu 2013 is already coming to us

We can observe the appearance of the flu in every corner of our planet, even in tropical countries this disease is a frequent visitor. According to preliminary medical forecasts, in the Northern Hemisphere, including the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and other regions north of the equator, the 2013 flu season will last from November to March.

In the southern hemisphere, including South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and other places south of the equator, the flu season will be held from May to September (this happens every year). The current season 2013 will not be an exception. In tropical regions, people can also be exposed to the 2013 flu virus, but it will be less seasonal, only that.

On average, 200,000 Americans are hospitalized every year due to seasonal influenza. The smallest number of Americans who died from influenza between 1976 and 2006 were 3,000 people a year. Most cases of death from influenza in recent years have been 49,000 people a year. Most of those who died were either children, or elderly or patients with a weakened immune system or other medical problem. For example, chronic diseases in the acute stage.

The flu epidemic 2013

The 2013 flu epidemics on WHO information and WHO EDC statistics, the European Disease Control Center, is just beginning its procession around the world. In Europe, the first country where the 2013 flu epidemic was officially registered in January was Norway, 11 more countries reported on the average intensity of the disease, about 14 countries provided data on the approach of the number of people affected by the flu to the epidemic threshold. Studies show that this year almost half of the population is affected by virus A, which in turn is divided into strain A (H3) - about 51% and the strain considered to be the most powerful and dangerous, A (H1N1) or "swine flu" - almost 49 %, the second half of humanity suffers from a B virus attack. The study of strains detected in the first month of the coming year shows that the virus is resistant to the antiviral remantadine group - Algirem, Polirem, Remantandin and is more active than the strain that struck people in the same time period of the past logo of the year, when the weak and inactive H3N2 virus predominated.

Flu 2013 in Russia

The 2013 2013 Russian flu is predicted to be more active and prevalent, based on analytical, statistical data from previous years - a relatively weak strain of A H3N2, "visited" the country last year, will be replaced by the infamous A H1N1 virus, called "swine flu" . The epidemic situation throughout the country for the period beginning February 20130 remains pre-war, the standard 20% is not exceeded, but the number of people applying for medical care and the number of confirmed diagnoses of influenza is steadily growing, moreover, in some regions already complex epidemic situations are fixed (Bashkiria - excess of the threshold level by 67%). The peak will be the end of February and the beginning of March, then the virus will gradually begin to take their positions. All strains that have been identified epidemiologically are familiar to Russians, those who have been ill with influenza A H1N1, A H3N2 a year or two ago, have retained their immune activity and protection, and the number of people wishing to undergo preventive vaccination, which is recommended by WHO as the only effective method counter influenza and the formation of group immunity.

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Flu 2013 in Ukraine

Flu 2013 in Ukraine is just beginning to approach the threshold epidemiological indicators, the peak of diseases according to the forecasts of specialists of the Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, as well as the head of state sanitary supervision will be in the last decade of February and early March. In addition to the return of the "old" acquaintance - the virus A H1N1, which raged in the winter of 2009, there have already been recorded cases of influenza A / H3N2 / Victoria. Also unfamiliar to Ukrainians is the B / Wisconsin virus, to which an immune response has not been developed due to its novelty, and there is also no effective vaccine that effectively counteracts this strain. However, despite the attack of three types of influenza, the forecasted situation is not alarming and threatening:

• to the virus A H1N1, many developed a stable immune response,
• for the remaining types of influenza there is the only reliable protection to date - vaccination prevention.

The composition of the newest third generation vaccines includes three WHO recommended strains, the vaccination efficiency reaches 85-90%, the immune response is produced within 10-14 days - this is just the period that is enough to adapt the immunity, if it is nourished now, before the projected peak of influenza diseases in early March.

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Flu 2013: special risk groups

In groups of risk for the incidence of influenza in 2013, first of all there are people who work in places of mass congestion: conductors, teachers, hairdressers and so on. Also at risk of getting influenza this season are those who have weakened ability to fight with serious chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Among these people there are many elderly people after 59 years.

Experts tell us that there are certain symptoms, noticing that we need to see a doctor.

• If you have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• pain in the muscles or headaches
• chest or abdominal pressure
• dizziness
• vomiting
• or if you think that your flu has passed, but then returned, you should immediately contact your doctor to avoid complications.

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Symptoms of the flu 2013: What you need to know about the enemy?

Fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose or nasal congestion, headache, aches and pain all over the body, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, malaise or even diarrhea in some people - these flu symptoms can put you out of action. When you experience them, you may have a regular flu, either seasonal H1N1 or perhaps swine flu.

You can feel any combination of these symptoms either completely or partially. And even if you experience all the symptoms of the 2013 flu, including fever, it may not be the flu, but a cold.

Symptoms of influenza 2013 are typical for the general clinical symptoms of the virus:

• Rapid increase in primary signs in the first day - a sharp jump in body temperature, sometimes up to 38-39 ° C, febrile state, chills;
• Growing aching headache;
• Aching, pain in the muscles;
• Atypical for sore throat, irritation in the throat without painful sensations (bacterial infection is accompanied by pain);
• It is possible to dry, tense cough on the second or third day, then cough, dropping into the bronchi, can become "barking";
• General asthenia, weakness;
• If the virus penetrates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea is possible.
• Possible hyperemia of the skin and eyes as a reflex response to viral intoxication.

Symptoms of the 2013 flu may be individual, depending on the initial condition of the patient at the time of infection, but they can be combined according to the following:

• Influenza with a moderate character of the course of the disease - there is a general weakness, the body temperature rises to 37.5-38 ° C, it breaks all the muscles, joints and headache.
• Severe form of influenza - hypertoxic is accompanied by hyperthermia up to 40 ° С, convulsive syndromes, vomiting and skin hemorrhages.

What is the difference between a cold and flu?

The difference between flu and cold is that they are caused by various viruses. However, their symptoms are very similar. In general, medical experts write that when people are flu-like, a person will feel worse than with cold symptoms. Fever, body aches, extreme fatigue and dry cough can greatly affect our performance. In addition, if a person ignores symptoms and does not care about himself, the flu is likely to lead to additional, more serious problems, such as pneumonia, perhaps even hospitalization in the hospital.

The flu has another difference from the common cold, it can become a pandemic. We all remember how the World Health Organization in 2009 announced the swine flu H1N1 pandemic. Colds are ill all over the world, constantly, but it is never declared a pandemic.

How to treat the flu 2013?

How to prevent the flu this season 2013?

There are two important ways to avoid the flu in the coming season. It is not too late to vaccinate (this is done before the end of November, the first days of December can also be used for vaccination). Every year, beginning in the early autumn, vaccines against influenza are offered by both public and private clinics. In large cities, special vaccination centers have been established in polyclinics, where everyone who has high health costs can apply for free vaccinations .

This is done so that a person not only avoid infection with the flu, but also protect others from this disease. This is called "collective immunity".

And the second way to protect yourself against the flu is to observe personal hygiene, wash your hands often with soap, wear a medical mask in places of congestion and take multivitamins to strengthen immunity.

And then the 2013 flu season will bypass you and your loved ones!