Amid growing concerns about rising cases of the H3N2 influenza virus and two deaths caused by it, experts said the outbreak was normal. Amid the sudden surge in cases, doctor Dhiren Gupta of Delhi’s Ganga Ram Hospital said on Saturday that Covid-induced lockdowns are the reason children have not been exposed to influenza for the past two years and that the virus is not life-threatening under normal circumstances.
As of March 9, a total of 3,038 laboratory-confirmed cases of various influenza subtypes, including H3N2, have been registered in the country.
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“…for this reason…the sudden outbreak of the H3N2 virus, which is a normal variant of the influenza variant, has led to an increase in the number of cases in children,” Gupta was quoted as saying by the ANI news agency. Children and people with comorbidities are the most vulnerable groups affected by seasonal influenza.
“The H3N2 is an antigenic drift and a mild mutation, but not life-threatening. Whatever the virus, if there is comorbidity, the chance of death is high. The vaccine against H3N2 has less efficacy and our vaccination is low this year,” he said.
Also Read: H3N2 Causes More Hospital Admissions: 10 Things the Center Said About Virus Spread
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As concerns grew and some people wondered if this could possibly be another Covid, pulmonologist Anurag Agrawal said he didn’t expect a massive surge. “Hospitalizations were not very common and it was reported that only about 5 percent of cases were hospitalized,” news agency PTI quoted Tarun Sahani, chief physician of internal medicine at Apollo Hospitals.
As of March 9, a total of 3,038 laboratory-confirmed cases of various influenza subtypes, including H3N2, have been registered in the country.
Also read| H3N2 Influenza: Symptoms, Treatment, Precautions and Everything You Need to Know
While there is no reason to panic just yet, Sahani said it was wise to take precautions similar to those used during Covid times.
“…if most of those infected recover, albeit slowly, then it should be fine,” virologist Upasana told Ray, alumni member of the Indian National Young Academy of Science (INYAS) and member of the Global Young Academy (GYA). PTI.
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She found that lockdowns and extensive mask use for extended periods helped control transmission of more virulent versions of the virus, but also prevented good exposure to regular seasonal respiratory viruses.
With cases surging, people are alarmed as the spread of the virus has led to increased hospital admissions. As of March 9, a total of 3,038 laboratory-confirmed cases of various influenza subtypes, including H3N2, have been registered in the country, with one death each in Karnataka and Haryana.
H3N2 is a non-human influenza virus that normally circulated in pigs and has infected humans, but experts said the seasonal flu, which is usually found in India from January to March and then after the monsoons, will recede after March. The government has recommended following Covid protocols and hygiene practices to avoid infection.
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While influenza A (H1N1pdm09), influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B (Victoria) have been identified in India, H3N2 is the predominant subtype and has resulted in increased hospital admissions. However, the government said of its patterns that a larger number of patients showed only symptoms of fever and cough, while about 27% suffered from shortness of breath, 16% from wheezing, 16% from pneumonia and 6% from seizures. About 10% of patients required oxygen and 7% required ICU care.
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