A particularly contagious strain of flu is sweeping Nelson Mandela Bay.
Hospital emergency units and doctors’ waiting rooms have been overflowing this week with coughing, sneezing and feverish patients.
Life Healthcare regional manager Adriaan Jordaan said staff were working hard to deal with the influx but the situation was under control.
“Life St George’s Hospital and Life Mercantile Hospital confirm that there has been an increase in patients visiting the hospital emergency units, with some subsequent admissions to the hospitals.
“Some of these patients have tested positive for influenza A, which is expected as we enter influenza season.
“Patient numbers fluctuate from day to day and there have been periodic extended waiting periods in the emergency units while our healthcare teams prioritise emergency cases.
“Our hospitals continue to operate as normal despite periodic extended waiting times in the emergency unit.”
Jordaan said Influenza A was a contagious viral infection.
“Symptoms include fever, body aches, coughing, fever and/or chills and headaches.
“Patients experiencing any of these symptoms are encouraged to seek medical advice from their local general practitioner or clinic.
“Patients experiencing any of these symptoms should also wear a surgical mask to protect themselves and others.
“Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing and remember to wash hands with soap and warm water or hand sanitiser.”
Bay paediatrician Dr Dave Purchase confirmed he was dealing with an unusually large number of flu patients.
“There are definitely many more flu patients coming in and the flu they have is definitely more severe.
“It’s the N1H1 flu from 2009. So if you had it back then or if you have had the flu vaccine since, then you should be protected.”
He said though N1H1 was more severe than the normal flu, for most people who contracted it, the effect was mild.
“However, there is a risk group that is more vulnerable including those who are asthmatic, for instance, and babies under two years old.”
He said the flu vaccine was not recommended for babies under six months.
“But besides that we recommend that those in the risk group should get the flu vaccine.”
General practitioner Dr Jonathan Fourie said the flu seemed to be highly transmissible.
“It is unpleasant rather than severe. The patients I have seen are suffering from fevers and aches and pains but I have had no major hospitalisations.”
He said he had not seen N1H1 in any of his patients but had instead noted influenza A and B which were both quite common flu strains.
“It does seem to be very contagious and it’s affecting people across the age spectrum.
“I recommend we should go back to masks at least for those people who are ill and at least in places like shopping centres and even schools.”
Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Mkhululi Ndamase said established measures to counter flu would take care of the problem.
“There is no reason to panic over the rise in the number of people getting flu currently.
“This is normal at this period of the year, as we are approaching the winter season.
“But the department encourages people, particularly children, the elderly and people with other underlying medical conditions to get the flu vaccine as a preventative measure.”
He said the department also recommended that masks should be worn and that hands should be regularly washed.
National health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the focus was on “respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)”.
“The National Institute for Communicable Diseases has a surveillance system which monitors the circulation of respiratory viruses throughout the country and it has notified the department that it is currently the peak season of RSV.
“The RSV virus causes illness mainly in young children but also contributes to respiratory illness in older individuals.
“Influenza virus season usually follows RSV, and we are starting to see an increase in cases.
“While most diseases caused by influenza, RSV and Sars-CoV-2 viruses are mild — these viruses may cause severe illness and even death, particularly in individuals with conditions which place them at high risk of severe disease.”
Mohale said the annual influenza season was expected to start in the next few weeks.
“It is advisable for people — especially those at high risk of severe influenza (adults aged 65 years and older, people with underlying illness like heart and lung disease, pregnant women and people living with HIV and tuberculosis) — to get the influenza vaccine.”
He said the flu jab was available in public clinics free of charge to people falling into the risk groups, and it could also be bought at various pharmacies.
HeraldLIVE
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