Cold season illness has symptoms similar to flu

Dr. Nguyen Le Nga, Medical Manager, VNVC Vaccination System, said that infectious diseases transmitted through the respiratory tract have some initial symptoms similar to flu such as causing cough, fever… Some Some diseases can go away on their own, while others can lead to serious complications and need to be actively prevented with vaccines.

HMPV

Since early January, China and India have recorded a high number of HMPV virus infections. Many people worry that the virus could spread without a vaccine or specific treatment.

People infected with HMPV have symptoms similar to flu such as cough, wheezing, sore throat, and runny nose. The disease is common in winter and often becomes severe, causing pneumonia and bronchitis in young children, people over 65 years old, and immunocompromised people.

Recently, the Chinese CDC said the number of HMPV infections is still increasing but is not as dangerous as Covid-19. According to a 2024 clinical study by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit at the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital, testing 103 community-acquired pneumonia patients, including 56 children and 47 adults, showed that HMPV accounted for the highest proportion. The proportion is small compared to other agents causing community-acquired pneumonia, equivalent to 12.5% ​​in children.

HMPV currently does not have a vaccine to prevent the disease, people need to prevent it by taking measures to prevent respiratory diseases such as maintaining nose and throat hygiene, keeping distance, wearing masks…

Pneumococcal pneumonia

According to the US CDC, about 5-90% of healthy people carry pneumococcal bacteria in the oropharynx. Invasive pneumococcus will cause disease in many organs such as the ears, sinuses, lungs, and blood, for example otitis media, pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia.

Symptoms of pneumococcal disease depend on the organ that this bacteria attacks. If it enters the lungs, pneumococcal pneumonia often has initial flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, sweats, shortness of breath, cough and chest pain. Pneumococcus is also characterized by co-infection and superinfection with other bacterial and viral agents, making the disease more severe and at high risk of complications.

Pneumococcal vaccine is available for both children and adults. Vietnam currently has three types of pneumococcal vaccine, protecting against 10, 13, and 23 strains of this bacteria respectively, administered as early as 6 weeks of age to children and adults.

Measles

Measles usually occurs in winter and spring and is one of the infectious diseases with a high transmission rate. Measles affects people of all ages, often starting with a mild fever, accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as cough, runny nose, red eyes and sore throat. Recently, the National Children’s Hospital (Hanoi) received many cases of measles that were misdiagnosed as flu or typhus, leading to incorrect treatment, causing the children to become seriously ill.

If not monitored and treated promptly, the disease can lead to complications such as otitis media, pneumonia, encephalitis, diarrhea, dry corneal ulcers… The disease can cause malnutrition in young children, affecting their ability to function. learn and develop in the future.

Vaccination is a proactive and highly effective way to prevent disease. Measles vaccine is given to children from 9 months of age and adults. Each person needs to be vaccinated with 2 measles shots for up to 98% protection.

Meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal bacteria are transmitted through the respiratory tract and are the cause of serious illnesses such as pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia… Among them, meningitis and meningococcal septicemia progress rapidly. , can cause death within 24 hours.

The initial symptoms of the disease are often difficult to recognize, easily confused with flu or viral fever such as headache, sore throat, fatigue, fever… The disease gradually gets worse over time, the patient appears nauseous, difficulty breathing, stiff neck, stellate rash, coma.

If not detected and treated promptly, the mortality rate is up to 50%. People who survive meningococcal disease also suffer many sequelae such as skin necrosis, limb amputation, deafness, blindness…

Meningococcus has 13 serogroups, 5 of which have vaccines to prevent it. In particular, the new generation meningococcal B vaccine is administered to children from 2 months old and adults up to 50 years old. Meningococcal BC vaccine, given to children from 6 months of age and adults up to 45 years of age. Meningococcal vaccine A, C, Y, W-135 is administered to children from 9 months of age and adults up to 55 years of age. Meningococcal vaccine does not have cross-immunity between serogroups, so people need to be vaccinated early and fully to prevent all 5 serogroups.

In addition, there are many other agents that cause respiratory infections such as influenza, diphtheria, whooping cough, Hib, chickenpox… People need to pay attention to vaccination against the above diseases to avoid diseases and complications, and help doctors. Doctors quickly eliminate some pathogens, shortening diagnosis time.

Besides vaccination, people need to pay attention to other disease prevention measures such as maintaining nose and throat hygiene, wearing masks when going to crowded places, keeping distance, and regularly washing hands with soap.