Flu season in Bengaluru
At our hospital, we’re currently seeing around four H1N1 cases a day, while Covid-19 is being detected at 1-2 cases a week,” she said. Dr Swati Rajagopal, senior consultant (infectious disease & travel medicine), Aster CMI Hospital, said the facility has seen an increase in influenza-like illnesses and confirmed flu cases over the past few weeks. “We’ve seen an increase in influenza-like illnesses and confirmed flu cases in Bengaluru over the past few weeks.
doctors said this year, they started seeing an increase from late Aug, with cases continuing through Sept While the seasonal rise in flu cases usually begins around Oct. What we’re seeing this time is higher transmissibility, but lower severity — the virus appears to be spreading faster, but the symptoms are largely mild,” said Dr G Nasiruddin, consultant, internal medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road. Doctors said most mild cases can be managed at home or on an outpatient basis with adequate rest, fluids and medicines to control symptoms. They said that antiviral medicines may be considered for high-risk patients and those with severe or progressive illness.
Bengaluru: It is that time of year when Bengaluru starts sniffling and coughing. But this year, flu season appears to have arrived early. Changing weather, travel during long weekends, and increased social contact during the festive season could be contributing to the early rise in cases, say doctors. The infections are also spreading quickly, even though most patients are reporting relatively mild symptoms. The commonly detected strains are Influenza A , particularly H1N1 and H3N2 , along with Influenza B. Patients are typically presenting with sudden fever, dry cough, sore throat, runny or blocked nose, headache, body aches, fatigue and weakness. She also cautioned that flu could lead to complications, particularly in vulnerable patients. It could worsen existing conditions such as asthma, chronic lung disease, heart disease and diabetes, and, in severe cases, can lead to pneumonia or, less commonly, sepsis. “There was a lot of travel during the holidays last month, with people moving across the country and potentially carrying the virus from one place to another. Once it enters settings such as schools or workplaces, it can spread quickly. High-risk patients and those with worsening or persistent symptoms should consult a doctor early. Doctors also cautioned against taking antibiotics without a prescription. Since influenza is caused by a virus, antibiotics do not treat the infection, and unnecessary use can contribute to antimicrobial resistance.