Is a "new virus" coming? Don't believe these rumors about respiratory diseases!

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, mononucleosis, influenza... Since the beginning of winter, more and more people seem to be "infected" with respiratory diseases. At the same time, the World Health Organization report shows that influenza has become a serious threat to public health. At the same time, there is a lot of false information circulating in society, misleading the public and causing unnecessary panic. Here is a reminder: Don't believe these rumors about respiratory diseases !

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Rumor 1

Is a new respiratory virus coming?

The so-called "new virus" circulated on the Internet is actually the syncytial virus, which has appeared this summer and is not a new virus. According to a press conference held by the National Health Commission on December 2, the current epidemic acute respiratory diseases are all caused by known pathogens, and no new infectious diseases caused by new viruses or bacteria have been found. The high incidence of respiratory diseases in this round in my country has also attracted the attention of the World Health Organization. Based on the current information, the WHO has not found any abnormal or new pathogens, nor abnormal clinical manifestations.

However, it is worth noting that the respiratory syncytial virus can be transmitted through droplets and contact with objects infected with the bacteria. It is highly contagious and is the most important viral pathogen causing acute lower respiratory tract infections in children under 5 years old worldwide . At present, there are no syncytial virus vaccines and special treatments on the market in China. Syncytial virus can cause repeated infections and is also prone to family transmission. In the absence of vaccines and effective drugs, infection should be prevented by strengthening personal protection and other measures.

Rumor 2

Is this round of respiratory disease a “re-emergence of COVID-19 ” ?

The above statement is untrue. According to the National Health Commission, the recent continuous increase in acute respiratory diseases in my country is mainly caused by influenza, in addition to the superposition of multiple respiratory pathogens such as rhinovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus.

In response to the high incidence of respiratory diseases in this round, Tong Zhaohui, deputy director of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and director of Beijing Institute of Respiratory Diseases, analyzed that it may be due to the three years of epidemic prevention and control that the human body has less contact with external respiratory microorganisms, and its relative resistance and immune tolerance have deteriorated. After the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, the human body is more likely to develop some respiratory symptoms when it comes into contact with these viruses again.

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Rumor 3

Mycoplasma pneumonia is a variant of the new coronavirus, just with a different name?

In fact, the two have nothing to do with each other. Zhang Wenhong, director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases and professor at Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, said that mycoplasma and COVID-19 are completely different species in biological evolution. One belongs to viruses and the other belongs to mycoplasma. The difference between them far exceeds the difference between "humans and flies". Humans discovered the microorganism Mycoplasma in the early 20th century, but it was not determined to be a pathogen until the end of the 20th century, while COVID-19 was not known to everyone until the end of 2019.

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Rumor 4

If you have symptoms of fever and cough, is it necessary to undergo pathogen testing?

Because children's immune systems are in the developmental stage, they are less likely to come into contact with external pathogens, and their acquired specific immunity is insufficient, which makes children more susceptible to multiple pathogens. Currently, these pathogens are common in children's respiratory infections. There are convenient clinical detection methods and relatively complete diagnosis and treatment measures. However, not all pediatric patients need to undergo pathogen testing, especially multiple pathogen testing.

Symptoms such as cough, fever, and sore throat caused by respiratory diseases are similar. Most children who come to the hospital for treatment have mild symptoms and only need to take symptomatic medication. If the patient's symptoms do not improve, such as persistent fever, worsening cough, or mental depression, they should seek medical attention in a timely manner, and the clinician will conduct a major pathogen test based on the symptoms. The cost of testing for multiple pathogens is high. Even if the test results are obtained, in actual treatment, targeted treatment will be carried out for the main pathogens. Clinically, the more types of pathogens tested, the more serious the condition will not necessarily be.

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Rumor 5

Can mycoplasma infection be self-tested with a test kit? Does a positive self-test at home mean that it is infected?

Recently, Mycoplasma pneumoniae test kits have been hot-selling on e-commerce platforms. Some people are worried about cross-infection when going to the hospital, so they stock up on test kits for backup.

According to experts, the Mycoplasma pneumoniae test has high requirements for the operation method, sampling location, and stage of the disease. The accuracy of the self-test results is low, so it is not recommended for ordinary people to test at home. There are many technical solutions for test kits, and their clinical significance varies. The test results cannot be simply summarized as negative or positive. Choosing an inappropriate test kit or misunderstanding the meaning of the test results will risk delaying the disease.

It should be noted that the accuracy of different detection methods varies. Antigen detection has a low sensitivity, and currently hospital laboratories often use nucleic acid detection and antibody detection. However, the diagnostic accuracy of antibody detection for mycoplasma infection is not high enough, and its defects include false negatives in the early stage of the disease and false positives in the recovery period of the disease. Based on this, no matter what the results are after people buy antibody test kits or antigen test kits for self-testing, they cannot be used as a basis for judging whether they are infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae .

Rumor 6

Will superimposed infection by pathogens continue to aggravate respiratory diseases?

The above statement is inaccurate, and we cannot simply conclude that "superimposition leads to aggravation". Experts said that some respiratory pathogens may coexist with the human body, so it is possible that two or more pathogens may be detected clinically, but this situation is not necessarily related to the severity of the disease. Only through comprehensive analysis by clinicians and combined with the specific conditions of the patients can we accurately assess the impact of superimposed infections on the disease and develop a scientific and reasonable treatment plan.

Rumor 7

Can drinking pear juice cure a child’s cough after being infected?

Drinking pear juice to moisten the lungs or eating steamed pears with Fritillaria cirrhosa to relieve coughs when you have a cough will not only fail to moisten the lungs, but will damage the lungs and produce phlegm. Pears and Fritillaria cirrhosa are both cold things, and they cannot be used for cold coughs and spleen deficiency coughs. Even in the early stages of a hot cough, as long as there are symptoms of wind evil such as itchy throat and nasal congestion, it is not suitable to drink pear juice or eat steamed pears with Fritillaria cirrhosa. In the middle and late stages, when it is dry heat that damages the yin or the lung yin is depleted, it can be eaten in small amounts, and attention should be paid to whether the spleen and stomach functions are damaged, otherwise it should be used with caution. As for whether the cough caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is cold or hot, it should be judged based on the doctor's diagnosis and treatment results.

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Rumor 8

Is vaccination useless in the face of various respiratory diseases?

The claim that "vaccination is useless" is a rumor. On December 5, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued the "Winter Flu Vaccination Health Tips", which clearly stated that flu vaccination is an economical and effective means to prevent flu and reduce the risk of severe flu-related illness and death, and can significantly reduce the health hazards caused by flu and the diagnosis and treatment pressure on medical institutions.

In response to the question "Is it too late to get vaccinated now that the flu season has arrived?", the "Health Tips" clearly pointed out that although the best time to get the flu vaccine is before the flu season arrives, you can go to the vaccination site to get vaccinated throughout the flu season. This will not only protect yourself directly, but also indirectly protect your family members who have not yet been vaccinated.

Experts remind : Although respiratory diseases have been prevalent recently, they are generally under control. Medical institutions are also actively taking measures to cope with the peak in visits, so parents do not need to be too anxious.

At the same time, it is recommended that key groups such as the elderly and children be vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of illness. Wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and ventilating frequently are very effective in preventing the spread of respiratory diseases. We must do a good job of personal protection, not go to work or school when we are sick, and maintain good personal hygiene habits and a healthy lifestyle.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, Internet Joint Rumor Refutation Platform, People's Daily, Hunan Daily, etc.