The flu epidemic that swept Australia is expected to hit other countries this year. While the UK stated that seasonal flu could combine with coronavirus and cause a major storm, experts warned that 20 thousand lives are in danger. So how can we protect ourselves from this situation, which is called ‘twin pandemic’? Here are the remarkable details…
The massive influenza outbreak in Australia, which especially affected children and spread rapidly, caused other countries to be on alert. It is feared that the H3N2 strain (the type of virus that commonly causes flu in humans), which is known to cause more serious diseases in children and the elderly, will spread rapidly in many countries this year and cause a crisis.
FLU COULD COMBINE WITH CORONAVIRUS AND KILL 20,000 PEOPLE
The UK is preparing for the biggest outbreak of recent years caused by seasonal flu, which will combine with the coronavirus and turn into a huge storm this winter.
Experts say that the flu season will come earlier than expected this year and will be much harsher, and that 20 thousand people could lose their lives and tens of thousands of people could be hospitalized as part of the virus storm.
THERE ARE STRONG SYMPTOMS: BOTH ARE DEADLY THREATS THIS WINTER
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned British citizens of a ‘difficult winter’ ahead as viruses such as coronavirus and seasonal flu begin to spread widely.
While agency officials are urging people to get vaccinated at every opportunity, Dr. Susan Hopkins, UKHSA’s chief medical advisor, said there are strong indications that both flu and coronavirus are deadly threats this winter, adding;
“When you are offered the vaccine, please step forward to protect yourself and reduce the burden on our health services.”
Influenza is a seasonal disease with symptoms such as fever of 39 degrees, severe muscle-joint pain, weakness, fatigue, chills, headache and dry cough. It is effective for about 8-10 weeks in winter and directly affects almost 40 percent of our society. Influenza is especially dangerous for people over the age of 65, children and those with chronic diseases.
COLD IMMUNITY MAY HAVE FALLEN DURING THE PANDEMIC
Doctors are concerned that natural immunity to seasonal flu may have declined during the coronavirus pandemic, when people socialized much less than usual.
This means that this winter people will have a much more severe flu outbreak, placing a serious burden on the health system.
FRIGHTENING WARNING: THE RESULT WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC
It is known that 20 thousand people died and 40 thousand people were hospitalized in the last severe flu epidemic in the UK 5 years ago.
Experts warn that a similar number this year could be a major disaster for the health system, which is already trying to cope with 6.84 million people waiting for treatment.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM: VACCINE FATIGUE
The UK is gearing up for a big fight with a record 33 million vaccinations offered to a record number of people this year, but officials say ‘vaccine fatigue’ could cause people to ignore calls for flu and coronavirus vaccines.
Doctors insist that nursery and primary school children in particular should be vaccinated to limit the spread of viruses and provide a protective shield. In this context, spray vaccine is recommended for 7-8-9 year olds and regular vaccine for 10-11 year olds.
TWIN PANDEMICS GET THE GYPSUM VACCINE ALONG WITH CORONAVIRUS
Outbreaks where coronavirus and seasonal flu spread at the same time are called ‘Twimdemic’ (twin pandemics). Experts state that the best way to protect against the twin pandemic is to get a flu vaccine along with the coronavirus vaccine.
