Combo Virus Alert

As we enter the new year, there is a significant increase in Covid-19, influenza and other seasonal viruses that have hit both adults and children across the country. Moreover, not only one virus stands out, but also the combo virus that occurs with the spread of multiple viruses at the same time threatens health.

Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya, Head of the Department of Chest Diseases, Altınbaş University Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. Lecturer İpek ADA ALVER, Altınbaş University Vocational School of Health, evaluated all these signaling developments in health. Prof. Dr. İpek ADA ALVER evaluated.

Prof. Dr. Özkaya,Head of the Department of Chest Diseases at Altınbaş University Faculty of Medicine, said that flu symptoms have increased 2-3 times in emergency and outpatient clinics and that there is a serious density, "There are many applications with complaints of fever, cough and sore throat. Minds are confused. There used to be an increase in seasonal periods. In other words, influenza would dominate when the weather got colder."

Explaining that covid changed the response of the immune system, Prof. Dr. Özkaya said, "Everyone has covid virus. In other words, influenza, swine flu virus, which did not bother you before the pandemic, now becomes very easy to cause disease. Even viruses that would not have made you sick before Covid started to cause illness."

Attributing the reason why the cases are so common to the fact that there is no longer a single virus in humans, Prof. Dr. Özkaya said, "Several viruses affect people at once. That is why most of the time we cannot find out which virus is making people sick. One comes out in the tests, one does not. Because the normal influenza virus used to cause fever and cough for two or three days and recover after two or three days, but in the current picture, it is longer and more effective because several viruses are effective at once. Fever and cough hit you. One day you are fine, one day you are bad, so the flu has become chronic. Because not one virus, but several viruses are effective in the society. Children and young people are more lucky. The middle age group comes with pneumonia. People over 65 and those with chronic diseases have a more severe illness and their pneumonia increases. We are facing an incredible pneumonia disease. This is not only due to influenza. It occurs together with several viruses."

Stating that the methods of protection are similar to coronavirus, Prof. Dr. Özkaya said, "Since the vaccine time has passed, individual measures now come to the fore. We need to go back to the mask."

Altınbaş University Vocational School of Health Prof. Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. İpek ADA ALVER, Altınbaş University Vocational School of Health, explained the cases that occur with the simultaneous spread of more than one virus, which can be defined asa combo virus, and reaching dimensions that threaten human health and said, "In such cases, by interpreting the results obtained from blood and swab samples, the JN.1 variant of Omicron, which is a sub-variant of the Covid-19 variant. variant, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), Influenza type A H1N1 new variant and pneumonia, especially affecting children, appear with an increasing number of cases at the same time."

Microbiologist İpek ADA ALVER stated that the spread of the combo virus epidemic occurred as a result of sick individuals not taking precautions and said, "Individuals should take measures such as wearing masks and isolation when they start experiencing multiple symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, body malaise, joint pain, nasal congestion or runny nose, sneezing, headache, high fever, cough, breathing difficulties. In order to determine the underlying microorganism without losing time and to create a treatment plan accordingly, they should go to the hospital and have the relevant tests done."

Suggesting that patients who experience symptoms in this process should rest at home, Alver said, "If the patient is a child, he should not be sent to kindergarten or school. It is obvious that the outbreak spread as a result of sick individuals not taking precautions and mixing with the society instead of staying in isolation at home."

Microbiologist Ada Alver also emphasized the importance of the immune system in the fight against epidemics and said, "In this process where multiple viruses spread, we need to keep the immune system strong as well as isolation measures. For this, we need to get enough sleep, reduce stress factors, consume probiotic and prebiotic foods and immune-boosting foods and drinks in the diet, take care to be outdoors, and take mineral and vitamin supplements. On the other hand, when we look at this combo virus epidemic, walking and breathing exercises in the open air are also important as it is usually involved in the upper and lower respiratory tract."