Faced with the increasing proportion of JN.1 variants, how should we respond this winter and next spring?

With the arrival of winter vacation and Spring Festival holiday, the mobility of people increases and the risk of respiratory disease transmission increases. In the face of this challenge, how can we take effective measures to deal with it? Follow Dr. Zeqiao's in-depth interpretation to learn about the expert's advice and protective measures, and jointly protect the health of you and your family.

The proportion of JN.1 variants has increased, and we still need to be vigilant against the co-epidemic of multiple respiratory pathogens this winter and next spring . Regarding the COVID-19 epidemic, Wang Dayan, director of the National Influenza Center of the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that after the New Year's Day holiday, the national COVID-19 epidemic is still at a low level. However, the proportion of JN.1 variants is on the rise, and experts have determined that this winter and next spring, China will continue to see the co-epidemic of multiple respiratory pathogens. Affected by multiple factors such as the import of JN.1 variants, reduced domestic influenza activity, and decreased immunity levels among the population, the JN.1 variant may become the main epidemic strain in China .

In addition, the National Health Commission mentioned that the number of patients admitted to fever clinics in medical institutions across the country is currently fluctuating and declining, and respiratory diseases are still dominated by influenza , while the infection of the new coronavirus is at a relatively low level. With the approaching winter and Spring Festival holidays, large-scale movement and gathering of people may accelerate the spread of respiratory diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to do a good job in monitoring and early warning, and strengthen the management and prevention and control of key places. Special attention should be paid to key groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, children, and patients with chronic basic diseases, and health consultation, referral guidance, and convenient vaccination conditions should be provided.

At the same time, we must allocate medical resources, optimize the medical treatment process, ensure the supply of medical supplies, and reserve medical resources for common sports injuries, accidental injuries, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular emergencies, etc., to ensure that patients receive timely and effective treatment.

How to prevent cardiovascular disease in high-risk groups

For high-risk groups, multiple measures are particularly needed for prevention. Wang Dayan, director of the National Influenza Center of the Institute of Viral Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, provided the following protection suggestions for high-risk groups:

1) Get a flu shot . People at high risk should get a flu shot as early as possible to improve their immunity.

2) Maintain hygienic habits . Pay attention to wearing masks scientifically, wash hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, towel or elbow when coughing or sneezing, and reduce contact between hands and face.

3) Lifestyle adjustment . Maintaining a good lifestyle, including adequate sleep, adequate nutrition, and moderate physical exercise, can help improve immunity.

4) Avoid crowded places . During the peak influenza season, try to avoid places where there are crowds, especially indoor workplaces.

5) Strengthen self-health monitoring . When you have flu symptoms, such as fever and cough, you should rest at home in time and seek medical treatment as soon as possible. In addition, winter is a period of high incidence of cardiovascular diseases . For patients at risk of cardiovascular diseases, scientific exercise is an important measure to maintain health. Wang Jianquan, director of the Department of Sports Medicine at Peking University Third Hospital, provided the following suggestions:

1) Follow the doctor's instructions . During the onset of the disease or the treatment stage, you should follow the doctor's advice to ensure that your physical condition is stable. For home exercises after cardiac rehabilitation, a doctor's evaluation and guidance are also required.

2) Pay attention to body signals . During exercise, avoid symptoms that cause heart discomfort. Body signals are important guides, and any discomfort should be stopped in time.

3) Keeping warm is crucial . Winter is cold, and patients with cardiovascular disease are more sensitive to temperature. Choose warmer weather and more sunshine to do outdoor activities and maintain a good body temperature.

4) Choose the right time . Avoid exercising between 6 and 10 in the morning, because the body's blood pressure is high at this time, and the cold environment may increase the burden on the heart. Choose warmer weather to exercise. For patients with cardiovascular diseases, especially the elderly, scientific medication is an extremely important task . Liu Qingquan, director of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, made the following suggestions for scientific medication:

1) Timely treatment . For patients with cardiovascular disease, especially those in high-risk groups, once a respiratory infection occurs, they should not ignore the symptoms, but actively seek medical treatment to prevent it from becoming a serious illness.

2) Pay attention to symptom differences . When respiratory disease symptoms are relieved but cardiovascular symptoms are not improved, you should seek medical attention in time.

3) Rational use of medications . When treating respiratory infections, the use and interactions of cardiovascular medications should be considered. In the case of poor liver and kidney function, a doctor should be consulted to ensure a reasonable combination of medications.