Japan alarmed for H3N2 flu

Just last week the number of reported cases of H3N2 in Japan skyrocketed by 620,000 patients, to 1.73 million. Most of them are students and the elderly.

According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, the number of cases increased in all 47 provinces. This increase is due in part to the spread in elementary and secondary schools. The number of cases aged 5-14 accounts for half of all recorded cases.

Japan today reports, experts predict, the service will peak in the first half of next month. Therefore, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of this country urged children and the elderly to take measures to prevent diseases such as frequent hand washing with soap, wearing masks .

Five years ago, Japan was also the first country to respond to H3N2, an influenza A virus. Therefore, babies born at a later time are not immune to this strain. An estimated 260,000 babies and babies under 4 years of age are diagnosed with H3N2.

H3N2 is a common form of seasonal flu. For those who are healthy, the disease is benign, may run out of fever after 3 - 5 days, manifesting fatigue, cough may last 10 days or after 2-3 weeks it is gone. This is a less dangerous disease, but still capable of severe changes, causing pneumonia complications, even death.