“He doesn’t even want to eat anymore, he’s coughing and has a sore throat”: Seven viruses lead to rise in respiratory infections in Guayaquil | Community | Guayaquil

Valentina had a fever, body aches, headaches, and despite her mother’s insistence that she recover, she didn’t want to eat. She has a bad throat infection and she has been out of school for two days this week.

Her mother, Mayte, said the symptoms started last Saturday and she took her to the emergency room, where they swabbed her to rule out COVID-19, which turned out to be influenza A.

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It is one of seven viruses currently circulating in Guayaquil, and with climate change, El Niño, there will be more such diseases, and not just in children.

The Regional Coordination Center of the Ministry of Health (MSP) said 304 cases of severe acute respiratory infection were registered in Guayaquil, Duran and Semborondon.

Viruses that MSP Medical Center has detected include SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, Ah3N2, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Adenovirus, Parainfluenza III, Ah1N1, and Influenza A and B.

In Valentina’s case, she suffered from pharyngitis from the flu virus and had trouble digesting food for days, but with medication, she is trying to recover, Mette said.

The mother of the family said: “The discomfort is still going on and he is at home but praying that every medication is fully effective.”

Likewise, Hilda took her daughter to Cisne 2 health center because she had a fever of 39 degrees, malaise, cough and hadn’t been to school for three days.

“She started hoarse, couldn’t talk much, then had a fever, was depressed, it was terrible, I brought her because she didn’t even want to eat anymore, she was coughing, had a sore throat, and some friends in her course had coughing, Runny nose,” the woman lamented.

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Doctors at MSP are advising parents to avoid visiting high-exposure places with their children, such as crowded parks, or activities where they could become infected, because cases of these respiratory viruses increase at this time of year as temperatures change.

These cases are also being treated at the Bicentennial Hospital, where the municipality of Guayaquil detailed that in July alone 767 patients were seen with various types of respiratory complications.

Again, on a level of private attention. For example, Dr. Orlando Pin explained that respiratory care accounts for 80 percent of all consultations in his private practice office.

“For children with bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, whatever the number,” he explained.

Alberto Campodónico, an intensive care physician at the Kennedy Clinic, explained that influenza B is the most complicated, with some patients requiring hospitalization for hours or days to recover in recent weeks.

“They may be infected and have strong flu characteristics, they are viruses that can cause pneumonia, so prevention must continue,” the expert said.

Doctors suggest that in public places, such as vehicles and places where paperwork is handled, in addition to washing hands frequently, masks should also be used. (Yo)