"Three viruses broke out" in Japan and China, medical warning: there is no vaccine for them

Three major diseases hit at the same time. What's even worse is that there is no vaccine for them. You have to wear a mask and wash your hands frequently to protect yourself. People with young children or elderly people at home must be more careful.

Schematic diagram. Image Source: pexels

According to the "Central News Agency" report, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently warned that "Human metapneumovirus (HMPV)" infection cases with symptoms similar to influenza and COVID-19 have become apparent in China after the winter. The increase is especially evident among those under 14 years old and in northern provinces.

In Japan, the number of patients with erythema infectiosum, commonly known as "apple disease", and mycoplasma pneumonia, known as "walking pneumonia", both hit record highs for the same period in the past 10 years.

Huang Limin, an attending physician at the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at National Taiwan University Hospital, said that "Human metapneumovirus (HMPV)" and "Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)" are relatives. They can also cause colds and are more likely to travel to the lower respiratory tract. The probability of causing pneumonia is higher than other viruses. During an epidemic, people with weak resistance will be infected, and the number of pneumonia will increase significantly, leading to an aggravation of the epidemic.

Huang Limin reminded that there is currently no vaccine or antiviral drug for HMPV. The high-risk groups for infection are young children, the elderly and those with poor immunity. Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease or liver disease must also Pay special attention. Once infected, you can only use oxygen and breathing to treat it. If it becomes serious, "you have to rely on a little luck!"

As for the infection status of "apple disease" and "mycoplasma" in Japan? Huang Limin explained that this is the same as the HMPV in China, which is caused by "immune debt" after COVID-19. Because there are so many similar respiratory diseases, people feel that they "continue to pay (the debt), it will never be finished." When the infections are finished one by one and the debts are paid off, they will return to their previous state.

Huang Limin pointed out that "mycoplasma" has been prevalent in Taiwan for half a year, and the epidemic has begun to cool down recently, indicating that the immunity debt has "already been repaid." As for "erythema infectiosum", Taiwan has not repaid this debt, and it is more necessary to pay attention to the number of infection cases. There is no increase. Almost all ages can be infected, with primary school students and kindergarten students still being the most affected. Infection in pregnant women may cause miscarriage, stillbirth or fetal abnormalities.

Finally, Tsang Shuhui, spokesperson for the Department of Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that the above infectious diseases are all respiratory viruses. Recently, "apple disease" has only occurred sporadically and no increase in patients has been observed. The CDC will continue to monitor changes in respiratory epidemics and if there are any If changes are found, we will report them to the outside world. The weather has been cold recently and various pathogens may be more active. We call on the public to wear masks, wash hands frequently, and take respiratory protection to avoid infection.

According to Mirror Weekly, "immune debt" means that in the past few years, in order to prevent COVID-19, everyone has worn masks, washed hands frequently, and maintained social distance from others to reduce the chance of respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections. Some people would have Infectious diseases that are easy to contract, such as influenza, enterovirus and other diseases, have become much less common during the epidemic.

However, after the anti-epidemic measures were lifted, people began not to wear masks, washed their hands less frequently, social distance became closer, and other viruses began to spread. Since fewer people have been infected for several consecutive years, the number of people who can be infected will increase. At this time, it is easy for an epidemic to break out. To make up for the epidemic that has not broken out in the past few years, it is called "immunity debt", which is similar to the concept of "paying off debt" .

Winter has officially arrived, the temperature is getting colder and colder, and staying under the quilt all day is a dream for many people. However, now there are not only enteroviruses, but also many viruses that are eyeing the virus, and experts have also come out to warn!

Nutritional and functional medicine expert Liu Boren said on Facebook on December 17 that influenza viruses, enteroviruses, and RSV have been rampant recently. Everyone should pay attention to personal hygiene habits to reduce the chance of infection.

Pediatrician Dr. Wu Hanmeng also issued a warning. After the arrival of several waves of air-conditioning in December, the temperature drop will be very noticeable, and clinics will continue to be crowded because there are so many people with respiratory infections. In addition to common cold viruses and influenza, "Everyone must You know, RSV is the big devil."

The Wuhan League explains that RSV is the main cause of hospitalization in infants and young children. The scary thing about it is that the disease progresses rapidly, which often catches parents off guard. It may rapidly deteriorate from mild cold symptoms to severe illness in just 2 to 3 days. , difficulty breathing, hypoxia, and even requiring hospitalization.

The Wuhan Alliance admitted frankly that a child was hospitalized due to RSV infection when he was one year old. He deeply understood the exhaustion and pressure of facing a child's rapid and violent course of illness and long-term hospitalization. When the child was wheezing and had difficulty breathing, the parents The anxiety and helplessness in my heart are even more indescribable.

According to "TVBS News Network", air-conditioning groups have been coming in waves recently. The Department of Disease Control and Prevention specifically reminded that from October 1 to December 16 this year, there have been a total of 327 severe cases of influenza complicated by influenza, with the age group starting from 65 There are more people over 10 years old, and the cumulative number of deaths is 69, the highest in the past ten flu seasons. More than 90% of confirmed cases and deaths have not received the flu vaccine this season.

The CDC added that from September 1 to December 16 this year, there had been a total of 398 local cases of severe COVID-19 complications, including 87 deaths, most of which were elderly people over 65 years old and those with chronic medical history.

Although the enterovirus epidemic has been on a downward trend recently, the recent cold weather has affected children's willingness to wash their hands with wet hands! The CDC calls on parents and education and childcare personnel to help and teach children to follow steps such as "wetting, rubbing, flushing, holding, and wiping", especially "before eating", "before playing with the baby", and "blowing their noses". "After", "after going to the toilet" and "before and after seeing a doctor" to help children maintain good hygiene habits to reduce the chance of enterovirus transmission.