Flu epidemic reaches coburg: prevention helps!

The cards of the german "influenza working group show it clearly: the flu wave is rolling over the country. "In the meantime, a strikingly large number of reports of illnesses have come from the district of bamberg.", says dr. Ulrich mauser.
The medical officer based in the district administration office, together with his colleagues in the health department, is closely following the development of the number of flu cases in the coburg region these days – slowly, but noticeably increasing. In an interview, the physician explains what you can do to protect yourself from the flu.

How can I make sure I don’t catch the flu??
Dr. Ulrich mauser: if you want to do everything you can to protect yourself from the flu, there’s no way around a vaccination. But the most important hygiene measures are also a contribution to reducing the risk of infection that should not be underestimated.

What are the medical options when I have the flu??
As a general rule, prevention is better than treatment! Since influenza is a viral disease, antibiotics are ineffective. They are only used if additional bacterial illnesses occur as complications. In individual cases and according to a doctor’s prescription, special drugs, so-called antivirals, can also be used directly against the flu virus – especially if a severe course of the disease is imminent.

How to tell if I have a real flu or just a cold?
Typical of a real flu is the sudden onset of illness with fever, sore throat and dry cough, accompanied by muscle, limb, back or head pain. The patients feel very weak. If the course of the disease is uncomplicated, symptoms last for about five to seven days. But you don’t always get off so lightly: in serious cases, even in previously healthy people, complications can arise in the form of additional pneumonia or failure of vital organs.

Are there still ways to protect yourself from flu now?
Even though the flu epidemic has already hit upper franconia, it is still worthwhile to give your immune system a jump start with a vaccination! In case of impunsch, the general practitioner is the right contact person.

To which group of people do you particularly recommend a vaccination??
Preventive vaccination is recommended mainly for high-risk patients: people over 60 years of age, but also children, adolescents and adults at risk of chronic diseases, as well as pregnant women. Flu vaccination is also recommended for health care and elderly care personnel and people working in facilities with large public traffic.

Triple vaccination, quadruple vaccination – there are several variants. Is there an official statement on this?
The permanent vaccination commission has only recently concretized its vaccination recommendation and favors in the epidemiological bulletin of 11. January a quadruple vaccine with antigen combination recommended by the world health organization.

The most important tips in the fight against the flu

clean: always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Afterwards, dry your hands carefully with a clean cloth. This is especially important after contact with sick people or with objects that have been in contact with sick people.

Keep your hands away from the mucous membranes of your eyes, mouth and nose as little as possible.

Keep your distance: when there is a flu epidemic, try to avoid shaking hands and keep your distance from people who are sneezing or coughing.

Stay healthy: if possible, avoid close contact with people with the disease in order to avoid becoming infected.