The Vice President of the Latvian Association of Rural Family Doctors, Ainis Dzalbs, stated in an interview on the TV3 program "900 seconds" on Wednesday, December 10, that the flu has now spread across the entire territory of Latvia, including rural areas. The most affected are preschool and school-aged children, who experience the illness in moderate or severe forms.
“In the last two to three weeks, we have recorded a significant increase in the number of flu cases in our practices,” noted Dzalbs.
Children of preschool and school age suffering from the flu in moderate or severe form experience high fever, severe headaches, and tormenting cough.
“Of course, we understand that the disease spreads further – to parents, grandparents, and then the course of the disease can be clinically significantly more severe,” warns the doctor.
The danger of the flu virus this year can be judged by how the disease progressed in countries in the Southern Hemisphere, where the incidence is now gradually decreasing.
“It has been noted that this was a very severe flu season. Therefore, we assume that both in Latvia and in other northern countries, the flu will be quite intense and severe. We are already seeing this now, as the epidemic started unusually early,” says Dzalbs.
When asked how to distinguish the flu from other illnesses, the representative of the association of family doctors noted: there are indeed similarities between the flu and a common cold – throat congestion, cough.
“However, we are talking about severe or very severe headaches, pain in the eyeballs, pain throughout the body, high fever – up to 39–40 degrees,” explained Dzalbs, adding that with moderate flu, a person is unable to go to school or work.
In severe cases of flu, shortness of breath may occur at the beginning of the illness, intense coughing, and the patient may lack the strength to take care of themselves – neither to stand up nor to sit down. In such cases, Dzalbs urges contacting a family doctor or calling an ambulance and going to the hospital.
Complications may also arise 5–7 days after the onset of the illness. When it seems that things have gotten better, the condition suddenly worsens – pneumonia or other respiratory complications begin.
“Statistics show that the hardest hit are preschool-aged children who cannot cope with high fever and lose fluids, their overall condition worsens. The second group is elderly people,” emphasized Dzalbs.
He added that the flu is especially dangerous for the elderly. For a person with several chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart failure, a temperature of 40 degrees for several days significantly worsens the condition. A quarter of elderly patients who have suffered severely from the flu never regain their previous functional abilities.
The representative of the association of family doctors urged people to get vaccinated, especially the elderly. Currently, vaccines are still available in small quantities in Latvia. The state plans to order additional batches. About 90% of all available vaccines have already been used.
“But, of course, one can inquire and keep an eye on the information on the website of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control – it may still be possible to find remaining vaccines that are currently available,” advised Dzalbs.
When asked if it is too late to get vaccinated if the epidemic has already begun, he answered negatively. Although full protection from the vaccine develops in about 10–14 days. Until that time, a person can still get the flu, as the vaccine does not take effect immediately.
