Flu may have peaked: Spanish infections fall for first time in four weeks
In the current context, Briones, who has a pharmacy office on Arteixo Avenue, draws attention to two “important” issues. The first is vaccination, remember that in Galicia vaccination has been extended until January 26 next year. “Adult vaccination rates are progressing well but I would like to stress that Children should also receive the flu vaccine because they are a major source of this disease.”, members of the board of directors of COFCO also emphasized before (“although it remains the same as always”), Another important piece of advice: “Antibiotics should not be taken for influenza or COVID-19.” “Doing so will only exacerbate the very serious problem we already have with resistance to these drugs. Antibiotics are not used for any process caused by viruses, as they do not fight these pathogens, while influenza and COVID-19 are caused by influenza viruses and the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus,” he stressed.
Masks return to health centers: “Wearing them is now common sense”
“To treat the symptoms of these diseases, we turn to another ‘arsenal’ of drugs, often without a prescription,” continues Paola Briones, who insists, Influenza and coronavirus are both “viral processes” and “the usual approach is to ride them out at home” where they will then subside “without any complications”. “In pharmacies, we recommend using supplements or over-the-counter medicines to relieve the discomfort caused by the flu and COVID-19, if within 7 days this ‘arsenal’ does not solve the problem, as long as we are not taking multiple medications and there are no other major complications Symptoms, it is recommended to contact a doctor,” the COFC board member said before reiterating “These viruses generally do not cause significant problems” except “under certain circumstances.” “It is true that in these cases they may lead to the administration of antibiotics, but always within medical criteria and due to complications of another pathology and not due to the viral process itself,” he emphasized.
Paula Briones, member of the management committee of the Official College of Pharmacists of A Coruña, in her pharmacy on Avenue Artesio.
Briones believes that at the time Have a first aid kit ready for respiratory infections, “Not crazy”, that is Suggestions included “digital thermometers, for example,” since “mercury thermometers have been out of use for many years,” and for gallium thermometers, “some people complained that they had difficulty reducing” the element’s chemical composition. “A flexible, cutting-edge digital thermometer. While the front one is very comfortable for groups such as residential users, the underarm one is perfect if used at home,” said a COFCO board member.
“Wearing a mask is also smart, he continued, and I think we’ve all internalized that, and in fact, if the COVID-19 pandemic has done us anything, it’s made us realize that when people have respiratory symptoms, Regardless of whether you are flu or COVID-positive, you must wear a mask as a precaution if you are going to be around more people. My impression is that this is something we have all learned, so it doesn’t hurt to have some masks at home just in case you get sick or have to go to a health center or hospital. The same goes for testing. It’s good to have some on hand at home, especially when we find it difficult to tell whether our symptoms correspond to those of a common cold, flu, etc… to clear up any doubts.”, he pointed out.
A Coruña treats “plateau” with caution: “We are still in a difficult phase of the flu wave”
“Then,” continued Paola Briones, “it was business as usual.”Fever reducers, analgesics, nasal decongestants…if anyone in the family has allergies, some antihistamines…dry cough suppressants, mucolytics and expectorants…throat disinfectants and moisturizers, or body or lip moisturizer“, lists the COFCO Board of Directors members, and then elaborates: “Today, flu medications often combine several of these products and I think we all have our own go-to flu medication, the one that works best for us because at some point in our lives we have had to resort to: That type. As fever reducers, the most common ones are paracetamol or ibuprofen. For example, for the first case, we can prepare a container at home with a dose of 500 or 650 mg (that is, up to 4 grams per day) and take it every 4-6 hours. As for ibuprofen, in principle 400 mg is enough, the maximum dose is 1800 mg, that is, four tablets per day (always taken with food). ”
In the “anteroom” of the peak of infections, anti-flu and testing “fly” in A Coruña pharmacies
“Ibuprofen and acetaminophen,” Briones explains, “both help treat fever and pain. “However, if we are looking for a slightly stronger anti-inflammatory effect because of throat inflammation, we should choose ibuprofen more often,” Said a member of the COFCO Board of Directors, before stressing that, “Today, all flu medications already contain antipyretics, analgesics… many times, antihistamines or decongestants…”. “The only precaution is to be careful if your flu medicine contains a decongestant, such as the pseudoephedrine type, if I’m a kidney patient or have poorly controlled high blood pressure, in which case it would be best to just take paracetamol.”
“Today, in any medicine cabinet it is enough to have a thermometer, a pain reliever, a fever reducer and a nasal decongestant, hypertonic seawater,” Paula Briones concluded, recalling that pharmacies were a “very convenient” medical facility on the street, Any citizen can “get advice or get any questions answered” about medicines they are taking or should be taking. “We all have a pharmacy nearby that has long opening hours, so there is no need to have an ‘arsenal’ at home because in any case we can go to that pharmacy and buy syrup or any other product. In addition, citizens can visit us, resolve any issues by phone or by any means necessary so that we can advise them,” stressed the COFCO Council member, insisting: “Of course, as with any flu course, you must check to see if symptoms subside within 7 days, and if not, talk to your doctor. Facing a fever spike? Typically: combine paracetamol with ibuprofen, make sure we are not allergic to either medicine, and ask if we have any questions about any medicine we are taking. In this way, together we will avoid medical center collapse and emergencies. “
Hospital admissions fall, emergency room pressure remains
A new day begins in the A Coruña and Central and Eastern European Health Region, with a decrease in the number of hospitalizations due to influenza and COVID-19, Based on data provided by management yesterday, this equates to 101 people were admitted to the General Hospital of the University of A Coruña (Chuac) for influenza (3 of them in ICU), and 39 people were hospitalized for COVID-19. A day earlier, they were 113 and 41 respectively. However, pressure on emergency departments remains high, with 424 people attending on Wednesday, of whom 30 (7.07%) were admitted.
“The number of patients admitted to hospital with influenza remains high, but many others are being discharged. We have begun to achieve a “negative balance,” an expression we have often used during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are in the “platform” stage, Optimism and starting to decline slightly, at least at the hospital level. However, we are still seeing a high number of infections, with many patients presenting to hospitals. chuak “They had to be hospitalized because of the flu, which prompted a significant effort,” he told the newspaper last Tuesday. Pedro J. Marcos, Director of Nursing.