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Flu
In the winter months, it seems few are safe from some kind of illness flu, COVID-19, norovirus, colds. While many of the germs that cause this misery can circulate throughout the year, scientists think that the winter surge of flu and cold activity may be because we spend more time indoors and the cold, dry air may weaken our defences. But knowing what these bugs are and how they spread can help. While it may be difficult to make it through the season totally unscathed, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from these respiratory and stomach viruses. How do I know whether I have the cold, the flu, COVID-19 or something else? Some symptoms are hard to distinguish among illnesses, especially with respiratory viruses. Others are unmistakable. Norovirus is a foodborne illness that can spread through water and contaminated surfaces and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain for about one to three days. The common cold can be caused by several different t
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday said the state government is closely monitoring the news reports about the massive outbreak of viral fever and respiratory infection in China and said there is no need to panic as of now. In a Facebook post, George said there have been no reports so far about any virus found in China that could become pandemic or spread rapidly to other regions. As Malayalees are there in all parts of the world and expatriates frequently come to the state, including from China, extra caution should be exercised, she said. "We are monitoring the situation in China. If an outbreak is detected that has the potential to spread to other areas, we can check its spread very quickly," she said. The minister also urged people, especially pregnant women, children and elderly people, to take extra vigil and asked them to wear masks. An official source said on Friday that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is closely monitoring respiratory and season
The Odisha government has culled over 11,700 chickens in Puri district's Pipili, following the detection of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, an official said on Monday. After mass deaths of chickens at a local poultry farm in Pipili, culling began on Saturday and was completed on Monday evening. Additional culling in homes and nearby villages will take place on Tuesday, the official added. Jagannath Nanda, additional director of disease control, said 13 rapid response teams are handling the culling, with some poultry farm owners conducting culling independently. No other unusual chicken deaths have been reported elsewhere in the state, he added. In response to the outbreak, the state health department has heightened surveillance and issued an alert. Bijay Mohapatra, director of health services, emphasised that while bird flu is not new to Odisha, the department is working with stakeholders to manage the situation. He assured that sufficient medicines are available and urged poul
Cadila Pharmaceuticals on Monday said it has launched a vaccine to prevent influenza, a recurrent and widespread viral infection. The drug firm has introduced quadrivalent Cadiflu Tetra vaccine which has been approved by the DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) for use in adults and children. The new vaccine targets four strains of the influenza virus subtype A and B, responsible for seasonal epidemics, the drug firm said in a statement. Developed using proprietary technology employing nano-sized particles, the vaccine mimics the external structure of the virus without containing intact genetic material, it added. "This breakthrough in vaccine development also holds promise for enhancing the protection of pregnant women against influenza, contributing to the overall well-being of both mother and child," Cadila Pharmaceuticals CMD Rajiv I Modi said. Influenza, commonly known as seasonal flu, is a highly contagious acute respiratory illness
Updated COVID-19 vaccines are coming soon, just in time to pair them with flu shots. And this fall, the first vaccines for another scary virus called RSV are rolling out to older adults and pregnant women. Doctors hope enough people get vaccinated to help avert another tripledemic like last year when hospitals were overwhelmed with an early flu season, an onslaught of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and yet another winter coronavirus surge. COVID-19 hospitalizations have been steadily increasing since late summer, although not nearly as much as this time last year, and RSV already is on the rise in parts of the Southeast. Approval of updated COVID-19 shots is expected within days. They are among the tools the new director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says will help put the US in our strongest position yet to avoid another chaotic respiratory season. There will be a lot of virus this winter. That's why we want to get ahead of it, CDC chief Dr. Mandy Cohen .