Galery

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- All members of high-risk groups (including people with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and diseases of the immune system, the elderly, etc.) should take, as prescribed, antiviral drugs during the first two days of the onset of flu symptoms, even if there is no laboratory confirmation of the disease.

- As for the people who do not belong to high-risk groups, if they notice serious symptoms such as persistent high temperature of over 40 degrees, spasms or cyanosis, or symptoms of the central nervous system such as hallucinations during the first day after the onset of symptoms, they should immediately take antiviral drugs.

- For all other people, in whom the disease occurs more easily, the treatment is ... a rest at home. Until the symptoms, such as cough and fever, are apparent, from three to five days on average, these people need to stay at home in order not to torment themselves and not to expose others to the virus (as is known, each of us may infect others one to two days prior to the onset of symptoms and while they last). During the home treatment, the patient should regularly monitor his or her temperature, take antipyretics, eat high-calorie food, drink plenty of liquids and should naturally observe personal hygiene so as not to infect his or her family. It is also important to know that in the case of a relapse, while the patient believes that the flu has passed, he or she should immediately visit a doctor because of the risk of a secondary infection (probably a bacterial one) that requires appropriate treatment.

Misleading measurements

Be careful with rapid tests!

The Pasteur Institute announced last week that the National Influenza Laboratory of the Institute had received reports of unsatisfactory results of the so-called rapid tests for the diagnosis of influenza. Director of the Laboratory Andreas Mendis states that "the existing laboratory studies show that the sensitivity rate of these tests is approximately 40% - 60%, which means that if a test is negative, that does not mean that the person is not a carrier of the virus. So, if there is serious suspicion of influenza molecular testing is required."

It should be noted that a number of private centres and hospitals offer rapid tests and their results are ready in about a quarter of an hour whereas several hospitals, private centres and the Pasteur Institute offer molecular testing, the results of which come out within about three hours (depending on the equipment of the laboratory this may take longer). Here is the advice of Andreas Mendis in this situation, "The main question is who really needs to be tested for establishing and determining the type of influenza virus. If this person does not belong to high-risk populations, who will not be subject to special treatment even if his or her result is positive, then there is no reason for this person to be tested. However, if there are reasonable grounds to establish whether the patient is suffering from flu, then the exact solution is molecular testing."

Η10Ν8

Another threat made ​​in China

Scientists fear a new strain of bird flu that has already occurred in China as it can spread throughout the world. This is Η10Ν8, which has already taken the life of its first victim, namely a 73-year-old woman in the Chinese city of Danchang, Tsiangsi province. She was probably infected with the disease when she visited a bird market. A second case has been registered in the same province in which a 55-year-old woman has been admitted to hospital in critical condition. Scientists have not previously observed this strain, which is a subtype of influenza A and have expressed concern at the fact that it may be transmitted from birds to humans. In a publication released a few days ago in the prestigious medical journal "The Lancet", experts from the Chinese Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Beijing stress the following: "The epidemic potential of this new strain should not be underestimated. The data show that the Η10Ν8 strain continues to circulate and may cause more cases of disease among people in the future." In the article, the specialists emphasise the fact that this is the fifth new strain of influenza that has emerged over the past 17 years. "It has a disturbing genetic profile and it should be closely monitored. It seems that it can damage the tissues deep in the lungs, easily spreading in the human body", Chinese scientists write, adding that the main fear is that, at some point, Η10Ν8 will start to be easily transmitted from person to person, although no signs of this have been observed for the time being. It should also be noted that since last year China has fought against the invasion of a similar strain, namely Η7Ν9, which killed a quarter of those infected with it.

Commenting on the emergence of this new strain professor Tsiodras from the Hellenic Centre for Disease Prevention and Control stresses that "both Η10Ν8 and Η7Ν9 are "cousins​​" of the Η5Ν1 strain, which originally appeared in Asia in 2003. Although it has not developed the ability of being easily transmitted between people (the main source of infection has always been birds), it has killed over 50% of the people infected with it. In any case, it seems that these strains are transmitted only after a close contact between humans and birds. This is a new potential threat but we have not detected the major mutation that would allow it to be easily transmitted."