H3N2 flu: Who is at risk of serious complications from seasonal flu?

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientists have said that the current spike in persistent cough, sometimes accompanied by fever, of cases in India over the past two or three months is due to Flu An H3N2 subtype. They also said that H3N2 cause more hospitalizations than other subtypes. In symptomatic cases, ICMR scientists said they should wash their hands with soap and water, wear masks and avoid crowded places, cover their mouths and noses when sneezing and coughing , avoid touching your eyes and nose, drink plenty of fluids and take paracetamol for fever and body aches.

According to the WHO, seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. There are 4 types of seasonal flu viruses, types A, B, C and D. Influenza A and B viruses circulate and cause seasonal outbreaks of disease, the World Health Organization has said. Influenza A viruses are further classified into subtypes based on the combinations of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), the proteins on the surface of the virus.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has advised against the indiscriminate use of antibiotics amid rising cases of coughs, colds and nausea across the country. The seasonal fever will last five to seven days, but in some cases the cough can persist for up to three weeks, the IMA said.

Viral cases have also increased due to air pollution, he added. The association also asked doctors to prescribe only symptomatic treatments and not antibiotics.

“Right now people are starting to take antibiotics like azithromycin and amoxiclav etc, that too regardless of whether and how often and stop it once they start feeling better. This must be stopped because it leads to antibiotic resistance. Whenever there is real use of antibiotics, they will not work because of resistance,” the IMA said in a statement.

Here is a list of all health and age-related factors that are known to increase the risk of serious flu complications, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC.

• Although all children under the age of 5 are considered to be at higher risk of serious complications from influenza, the highest risk is in those under the age of 2, with the highest hospitalization and death rates in infants under 6 months.
• Adults 65 and over
• Asthma
• Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions
• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
• Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease)
• Kidney diseases
• Liver disorders
• Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
• Obese people with a body mass index [BMI] 40 or more
• People under the age of 19 taking long-term medications containing aspirin or salicylate.
• People with weakened immune systems due to disease (such as people living with HIV or AIDS, or certain cancers such as leukemia) or medication (such as people receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer , or people with chronic conditions requiring chronic corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress the immune system)
• People who have had a stroke
• Pregnant people and people up to 2 weeks after termination of pregnancy
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities