The H1N1 flu is coming, and this drug is out of stock! Experts warn →

"The number of people diagnosed with influenza A in hospitals has indeed increased." On February 24, Li Liyan, director of the Emergency Infection Department of Beijing First Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, told reporters that after being infected with the influenza A virus, except for normal sense of smell and taste, other symptoms are not much different from those of being infected with the new coronavirus.

Influenza A outbreak

Nearly 70,000 searches per day

On February 22, the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the intensity of seasonal influenza epidemic activity is currently showing an upward trend. Among the influenza viruses currently prevalent in Beijing, influenza A viruses are absolutely dominant, of which influenza A H1N1 subtype accounts for 64%, influenza A H3N2 accounts for 35%, and influenza B accounts for 1%.

According to the "Influenza Diagnosis and Treatment Program (2020 Edition)", influenza has an acute onset and although it is mostly self-limited, some patients develop into severe cases due to complications such as pneumonia or worsening of underlying diseases. In a few cases, the disease progresses rapidly and may die from complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute necrotizing encephalopathy, or multiple organ dysfunction.

The reporter found that over the past seven days, the number of searches and reports on "H1N1" has shown a significant upward trend. On February 24 alone, there were 69,417 searches.

"The cycle of influenza outbreaks this year has been slightly delayed." Li Liyan said that influenza A and the new coronavirus infection are both respiratory diseases with similar symptoms, including fever, headache, myalgia, and general discomfort, but the two have different pathogens and epidemiological characteristics. People over 65 years old, people with low immunity, people with underlying diseases, pregnant women, children, and obese people, who are key prevention and control groups, need to seek emergency medical attention if they have suspected influenza A symptoms.

Oseltamivir is not a "magic drug"

Must be taken as directed by a doctor

H1N1 flu hits

Oseltamivir, the "magic drug" for influenza, is once again in the spotlight

Hot sales or even shortages

On the 27th, #Oseltamivir# became a hot search

Many pharmacies in Beijing told reporters that recently, due to the large number of people suffering from influenza A, many people came to the pharmacies to buy oseltamivir. The reporter visited some offline pharmacies, and some staff members said that oseltamivir was out of stock. Some pharmacies had just sold out of oseltamivir granules and capsules. The staff members said, "You can ask again in a day or two." An employee of a pharmacy in Chengdu told reporters that the pharmacy currently only had oseltamivir granules, and the capsules were sold out and had to wait until the next day to restock.

The reporter checked an e-commerce platform and found that the price of oseltamivir phosphate granules of 15mg*10 bags/box is 60 yuan, with monthly sales of more than 60,000, and the sales of another specification also reached more than 10,000; the price of oseltamivir phosphate capsules of 75mg*6 capsules/box is 85 yuan, with monthly sales of more than 10,000; the price of oseltamivir phosphate dry suspension is 109 yuan/bottle, with sales of more than 2,000.

Oseltamivir is a specific inhibitor of neuraminidase, which can inhibit the further increase of influenza virus number, thereby inhibiting the spread of influenza virus in the body to reduce pathogenicity. It is mainly used for the treatment and prevention of influenza A and B.

Li Liyan introduced that oseltamivir has a certain effect on inhibiting influenza A virus, but it has a certain drug resistance and should not be taken for a long time. "Oseltamivir is a prescription drug, so you must be careful when using it." Li Liyan said that it can be used as an emergency temporary preventive measure for people at high risk of severe influenza who have no immunity. It is best to use it under the guidance of a doctor and not take it on your own. In terms of daily diet, pay attention to drinking plenty of water, getting more rest, and eating some light, protein-rich and easily digestible foods.

Typical symptoms of influenza A are fever

The probability of overlapping with the new crown is low

Influenza viruses can be divided into four major families: A, B, C, and D. Among them, influenza A is more common and is seasonally prevalent every year. The China Influenza Surveillance Weekly Report for the 7th week of 2023 released by the China National Influenza Center shows that influenza A has been the most severe recently.

Tuchong Creative

Wang Baozeng, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, told reporters that the upper respiratory tract symptoms of influenza A and COVID-19 are similar.

"However, the typical symptoms of influenza A are fever and muscle aches all over the body, while mild and asymptomatic patients infected with the new coronavirus generally do not experience these symptoms," Wang Baozeng said. "In addition, the new coronavirus may also cause abnormalities in taste and smell. Some patients with the new coronavirus will experience vomiting, diarrhea and conjunctivitis, which are relatively rare in influenza A infection."

"Especially the impact on taste and smell is a characteristic of the new coronavirus," Wang Baozeng added.

"From a clinical perspective, non-severe COVID-19 patients suffer from pneumonia more often than influenza A patients. For the elderly and high-risk groups with underlying diseases, there are fewer cases of severe symptoms such as lung diseases after influenza A infection than with COVID-19," said Wang Baozeng.

Regarding the superposition of influenza A and COVID-19, Wang Baozeng said the probability of this happening is very small, and even if it does occur, it is rare for non-high-risk groups to develop critical illness.

"At present, most people in my country are immune to the new coronavirus, and the probability of being infected with the new coronavirus and influenza at the same time is very low. Even if the two viruses are infected at the same time, it will not necessarily become a critical illness. Whether it becomes a critical illness depends on the individual's physical constitution. For non-high-risk groups, even if they are infected with two viruses at the same time, their strong resistance will reduce the risk of critical illness." Wang Baozeng said, "But it is recommended that people who have not been infected with the new coronavirus continue to take good protection."

Wang Baozeng told reporters that the antibodies produced after infection with influenza A are generally effective for half a year. "In the past three years, many people have not received influenza vaccines and have not had influenza due to good personal protection, so the level of influenza antibodies is relatively low. Recently, there have been more reports of infection due to the increase in crowds." Wang Baozeng said.

Source｜CNR.com, Red Star News, Qilu Evening News, People's Daily Client, etc.

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