Combo Virus Alarm
The increasing duration of staying indoors during the winter months is contributing to the rise in respiratory tract cases. Experts from Altınbaş University have issued warnings regarding the combo virus.
As the country enters the new year, there is a significant increase in COVID-19, influenza, and other seasonal viruses affecting both adults and children nationwide. Moreover, it's not just one virus but the simultaneous spread of multiple viruses, creating a combo virus that poses a threat to health.
Altınbaş University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases Chairman Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya and Altınbaş University Health Sciences Vocational School Dr. Lecturer İpek ADA ALVER evaluated all these health-signaling developments.
Prof. Dr. Özkaya, Chairman of the Department of Chest Diseases at Altınbaş University Faculty of Medicine, stated that there has been a 2-3 times increase in flu symptoms in emergency rooms and clinics, leading to a serious influx. He said, "There are many admissions with complaints of high fever, cough, and throat pain. Minds are confused. Previously, there would be an increase during seasonal periods. In other words, when the weather got colder, influenza would dominate."
Explaining that COVID changes the immune system's response, Prof. Dr. Özkaya said, "Everyone has the COVID virus. In other words, the influenza or swine flu virus, which would not bother you before the pandemic, now easily causes diseases. Viruses that would not make you sick before COVID, even at the level of a pandemic, now cause illness."
Attributing the widespread cases to the fact that people are no longer affected by just one virus, Prof. Dr. Özkaya said, "Several viruses are affecting people. Therefore, we often cannot determine which virus is causing the illness. One test comes out positive, another negative. Because the normal influenza virus would cause fever, cough for two or three days and then get better, but in the current situation, it lasts longer and is more effective due to several viruses. Fever and cough persist. One day you are fine, the next day you are not, meaning the flu has become chronic. Because it's not one virus; several viruses are effective in the community. Children and young people are more fortunate. Middle-aged people come with pneumonia. Those aged 65 and over and those with chronic diseases experience more severe illness and more pneumonia. We are facing an incredible pneumonia disease. This is not only due to influenza. It is happening with several viruses together."
Stating that the prevention methods are similar to those of the coronavirus, Prof. Dr. Özkaya said, "Since the time for vaccination has passed, individual measures come to the forefront now. We need to go back to wearing masks."
İpek ADA ALVER, Lecturer at Altınbaş University Health Sciences Vocational School, discussed the cases involving the simultaneous spread of multiple viruses, which can be described as a combo virus, posing a threat to human health. She said, "In such cases, the interpretation of the results obtained from blood and swab samples reveals a tableau with an increasing number of cases involving the Covid-19 variant, Omicron's JN.1 variant, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), Influenza type A H1N1 new variant, and pneumonia that particularly affects children."
Microbiologist İpek ADA ALVER stated that the combo virus epidemic occurred due to the failure of affected individuals to take precautions. She said, "When individuals start experiencing multiple symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, body aches, nasal congestion or runny nose, sneezing, headache, high fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, they should take measures such as wearing masks and isolation without delay. Without wasting time, they should go to the hospital to have the underlying microorganism identified and undergo relevant tests to create an appropriate treatment plan."
Alver recommended that patients with symptoms rest at home during this period. She said, "If the patient is a child, they should not be sent to daycare or school. It is evident that the combo virus epidemic has spread due to the failure of affected individuals to take precautions and their mingling with the community instead of isolating at home."
Emphasizing the importance of the immune system in combating epidemic diseases, Microbiologist Ada Alver said, "In this process where more than one virus is spreading, besides isolation measures, we must also keep the immune system strong. For this, we need adequate sleep, low stress factors, consumption of probiotic and prebiotic-containing foods in the diet, consumption of foods and beverages that strengthen the immune system, attention to being outdoors, and taking mineral and vitamin supplements. On the other hand, when we look at this combo virus epidemic, it generally affects the upper and lower respiratory tracts, so walking outdoors and breathing exercises are also important."