All you need to know about the flu : An influenza epidemic has affected the French since the start of 2015. My Healthy Project takes stock of this painful disease for you.
Are you at the end of your bed with a fever of 39, a runny nose, aches, watching the hundredth episode of your favorite series? If that can reassure you, nearly 1.5 million French people have experienced the same situation since the start of the flu epidemic that hit France. The cause was a mutation in the virus that made the vaccine less effective.
Influenza
This infectious disease attacks the respiratory tract such as the nose, throat and bronchi and lasts for about a week. Symptoms appear between one and four days after contamination, says the Institut Pasteur website . Generally, it is a high fever, muscle pain, headache, dry cough, sore throat and a cold. Young people, the elderly and those suffering from certain illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, AIDS or pneumonia can be at risk of complications, sometimes very serious.
Protect your loved ones
The virus is easily spread from person to person by air. Patients are contagious one day before the first symptoms appear and remain so for 7 days. The flu is a disease that spreads quickly, says the Institut Pasteur, especially in collective places such as public transport. It is enough that a person touches a contaminated surface and that he carries his hand at the level of his nose so that he catches the disease. Impeccable hand hygiene, the use of disposable handkerchiefs, sneeze control and the possible wearing of a mask are some of the gestures that limit infection of those around you.
Just a little patience to recover
Without treatment, patients usually recover after one or two weeks. Otherwise, the doctor may prescribe antivirals whose composition, side effects, dosage and costs are variable. The only downside: the virus, not stupid, has developed resistance to these drugs. Their effect is therefore limited, we can simply hope that they reduce the symptoms from one to two days.
If you are one of the privileged few who have not yet caught the flu, you may have a chance to get out of it this year: the epidemic peak has been crossed recently, the number of cases should gradually decrease. But nothing prevents you from watching your favorite series…
Read also:
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Cold or flu, what are the differences?
Influenza vaccine: how does it work?
Colds, flu, gastroenteritis: how to protect yourself from the evils of winter
Are home remedies for colds and flu effective?
4 natural solutions to prevent the flu
