“Five respiratory viruses affecting the country” | Daily List

Influenza B and A, adenovirus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and Sars-Cov-2 or Covid-19 are the respiratory viruses currently affecting the Dominican population, causing symptoms very similar to dengue fever.

This was revealed yesterday by pulmonologist Natalia Garcia, consultant to the Ministry of Public Health, who said that all these viruses have one characteristic, which is that they cause fever. As with dengue, it is therefore important to provide appropriate symptom management to avoid severe pneumonia leading to increased need for hospitalization.

When talking about the clinical behavior of respiratory viruses, he said that the incidence of respiratory viruses is currently high globally, and among influenza viruses, the number of type B influenza viruses is greater than that of type A influenza viruses. He recalled that influenza was a precursor to severe pneumonia, so it was important for people to get vaccinated.

clinical manifestations

He said the incidence of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus this year was similar to last year, and the incidence of Covid-19 was much lower, but there were also adenovirus and rhinovirus, both of which had similar symptoms of fever, but they could pass through certain distinguish by some characteristics.

He emphasized that influenza, adenovirus and pneumococcus can cause fever and cough, respiratory syncytium can affect the lower respiratory tract and produce a whistling sound, and adenovirus can cause diarrhea and conjunctivitis in children.

Experts add that in older adults, pneumonia does not cause fever but does cause confusion and shortness of breath, suggesting it may have complications.

The expert stressed the importance of health personnel considering viruses other than dengue when admitting patients with fever and managing their symptoms.

Additionally, perform a blood count on all patients presenting to the hospital with fever and repeat the analysis within 24 to 48 hours to verify thrombocytopenia, perform a test on day five to confirm or rule out dengue fever, and do not leave patients without adequate follow-up Escape from dengue fever.