This is not intended as a gloom and doom article, but one that contains alert information to help you protect your good health.
The fall and winter months are a salad bowl of contagious respiratory viruses. Then you have to include pneumonia. Even though it is a bacterium it is another contagious respiratory infection. This is not meant to be a Stephen King scary article, but this is reality and the world we live it. Cold/cooler weather and respiratory viruses survive better and are more transmissible if it’s cooler and if there’s lower humidity. Feeling sick can be especially concerning these days. Could your “sniffles” be caused by COVID-19? The flu? RSV? Pneumonia? A cold?
Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, and with many different variants with different names. The flu is caused by infection with one of the various influenza viruses that are always mutating. The common cold is caused by more than 200 different viruses. And adding to this, there is RSV – respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, another common respiratory virus. You cannot tell the difference between RSV, the flu and COVID-19 by symptoms alone because some of the symptoms can be the same – nasal congestion, cough, headache, body aches, etc. Trying to distinguish the difference between these above-named respiratory infections can be very difficult because the symptoms overlap a lot. They are also spread similarly – they are all airborne, easily transmitted and contagious. They’re transmitted by small particles that come from your nose and mouth when you sneeze, cough, sing, or talk, raising the possibility of infecting people who are nearby. Infected people may not have symptoms yet or at all but can still pass along the virus.
A Generalization: Someone with flu usually has symptoms 1 to 4 days after being infected. People with flu may be contagious for up to 5-7 days after their illness begins. Being infected with the flu and Covid at the same time is possible, with it showing symptoms of both at the same time.
People with RSV are usually contagious for 3-8 days after their illness begins. Covid symptoms can take longer than flu symptoms to develop. A person with COVID-19 typically shows symptoms about 5 days after infection, although this can range from 2 to 14 days. For people with COVID-19 the infectious period can vary, and they are often contagious up to 10 days after their illness begins. One telling sign of COVID-19 in some cases is loss of smell or taste.
Those who are at a higher risk of becoming very sick from respiratory viruses: older adults, people with a weakened immune system – for example, someone going through certain cancer treatments, having an autoimmune disease, people with disabilities / medical conditions – i.e. cardiac or respiratory medical conditions – COPD, asthma, etc.
Because of other similar symptoms listed below, there’s really only one way to be certain if you have COVID-19 or the flu: Get tested.
Possible signs / symptoms of Covid: The following list does not include all possible symptoms,ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may change with new COVID-19 variants and can vary depending on vaccination status: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
The main point is you need to be Smart and Considerate dealing with upper respiratory infections, regardless of the type of infection it is. Smart – so you take precautions to protect yourself, AND Considerate of others in your household and community so that you do not potentially infect them. Things you can and should do: (a) Wash your hands frequently, especially if you have been out of your house. (b) When you are out of the house, keep hand sanitizer gel handy and use it after touching things like when you are shopping – the handbaskets, shopping carts, money you handle, ATM buttons, etc. are potential “virus items” that were possibly handled by an infected person prior to your touching them. (c) Keep your distance from others, especially if indoors or at some kind of people gathering event. (d) Stay far away from anyone who is showing signs of any kind of respiratory illness. (e) When you have to cough or sneeze, do not do it into your hand – you will be spreading your germs with that hand when you touch things. Bend your elbow and sneeze or cough into the inside of your elbow. (f)Discuss use of vaccinations with your health care provider. (g) The biggest protective action: Stay home when you have any kind of respiratory symptoms, even if you think “ it’s just a cold” – you do not know for sure what is the cause of this condition unless you have been seen by a doctor or had testing. Please practice Smart and Considerate.
This is an important topic while we are in “rainy season,” or actually year-round when there are mosquitos present – Dengue.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease, which is contracted when a person is bitten by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is commonly found throughout the world, including Mexico. This mosquito can survive year-round in subtropical regions, with higher transmission season of dengue in Mexico especially in “rainy season.” A person can be infected with dengue multiple times in their lives.Dengue virus (DENV) is a species that includes four related but genetically distinct serotype viruses- DENV-1, DENV-2, etc. Serotype 3 “arrived” in Mexico in late 2023 and appears to be an extremely strong mutant and seems more resistant to repellents, spraying, etc. FYI: a mutated female mosquito can lay up to 150 eggs every three days.
Statistics gathered from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for the State of Jalisco shows: Year 2023, January 1st to December 31st – 7,648 reported cases with 941 confirmed cases. Year 2024 January 1st to (only) June 24, 2024 – 4,539 reported cases, and 833 confirmed cases. What needs to be addressed about these numbers – these are only reported cases. This does not include those cases where a person could have had the dengueillness and treated it at home without the care of a health care provider who will report the case – so the statistics are in a fashion incomplete/possibly “under-reported.”
This dengue situation has become an increased worldwide problem, including areas/countries that have not had to deal with this before, neither the volume nor frequency/timing change that is occurring now. I am not making a “Henny Penny” or a political statement, just passing on information/facts about what is happening in our world. On the ground, scientists are making observations and expressing their concerns, many believing in part the reason for this change is tied to climate change. A warming climate expands the mosquitoes’ habitat and allows them to breed all year long, rather than only in the warmer months. The hotter temperatures also cause the viruses to replicate faster, meaning mosquitoes end up carrying many more viral copies, increasing the likelihood that a person will become infected if bitten. There is an increased incidence of “locally transmitted” dengue fever infections – meaning the infected person didn’t get sick from traveling abroad. This disease has been recently seen in the continental U.S. for the first time in some states like Texas, Florida, Arizona and California. Last summer brought record-breaking heat waves to Europe, where cases of local dengue transmission were seen in France, Italy and Spain.
Mild dengue fever causes a high fever and flu-like symptoms. The severe form of dengue fever, also called dengue hemorrhagic fever, can cause serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock) and death. About one in 20 people who get sick with dengue will develop severe dengue. If you have had dengue in the past, you are more likely to develop severe dengue when re-infected with a different serotype, though severe disease can also occur on the first infection. After you’ve had your first exposure, your risk of having dengue hemorrhagic fever or severe symptoms increases exponentially, and the dengue can also become deadlier with each infection.
This mosquito species is most active for approximately two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset, BUT it can bite at night also. This mosquito can bite people without being noticed because it approaches from behind and bites on the ankles and elbows. The bite of the dengue mosquito leaves an itchy hard puffy reddish bump appearing a few minutes after the bite- looks like measles, or multiple bumps appearing a day or so after the bite or bites, small blisters instead of hard bumps, and dark spots that look like bruises.
Most people with dengue have mild or no symptoms and will get better in one to two weeks. About 1 in 4 people with dengue will develop symptoms. If you do show symptoms, they will usually begin 4-10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and last for 2–7 days. However, some cases will develop severe dengue, which may involve shock, severe bleeding or severe organ impairment. This stage often starts after the fever has gone away and it is preceded by warning signs such as intense abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding gums, fluid accumulation, lethargy or restlessness, and liver enlargement.
If you think you have Dengue fever – seek medical care. There is no vaccine or specific medication for dengue fever. If you are sick: seek medical advice, rest and drink plenty of fluids. Paracetamol/Tylenol/Acetaminophen can be taken to bring down fever and reduce joint pains. However, you should not take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) OTC pain/fever relievers including aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, or naproxen/Aleve, as they can increase the risk of bleeding. Your health care provider may order a blood test to confirm dengue or other similar viruses like Zika or chikungunya. Laboratory confirmation is not required to manage illness from dengue. Your healthcare provider might provide care based on your signs and symptoms.
Things you can and should do to avoid mosquito bites: (a) Use personal insect repellent spray – Repellents with DEET or picaridin give the longest protection. Do not apply sprays indoors, in enclosed spaces, or near food because you may inhale or eat the spray mist. (b) Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors whenever possible, especially at sunset time, etc. such as light-colored, loose clothes made of tightly woven materials such as nylon or polyester, (c) Have/install window screens on your house. (d) Remove standing water where mosquitos may lay eggs – turn over, cover, or throw out any items not in use that hold water such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers. (e) Mosquitoes like to lay eggs near water. Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. (f) For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito. (g) Fill tree holes to prevent them from filling with water. Repair cracks or gaps in your septic tank. (h) Cover open vents or plumbing pipes – use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito so they cannot get inside to lay eggs.
Look around your house to see if you can make changes to prevent standing water and not create a breeding area for mosquitos, potentially creating a dengue situation.
- If Our Pets Could Talk - September 29, 2024
- You and Your Doctor Are Your Medical Team – October 2024 - September 28, 2024
- YOU and Your Doctor Are Your Medical Team – September 2024 - August 29, 2024