Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : March 13, 2023 10:15 AM IST
H3N2 Spreading Rapidly In India: Who Is At Risk, How Long Does The Infection Last?
The H3N2 influenza virus is spreading rapidly in India. In the last few days, the country has witnessed a massive surge in cases of the infection, which is almost a look-alike of COVID infection, however, they both are extremely different in nature. According to the latest data from the Union health ministry, the states reported a total of 3038 laboratory-confirmed cases of various influenza subtypes, including H3N2, up until March 9th, 2023. The country has also logged two deaths, each from Karnataka and Haryana due to the H3N2 virus infection. Experts have warned that H3N2 influenza cases are on the rise in India with an alarming increase in ICU admissions.
Why India is witnessing a sudden surge in the number of H3N2 flu cases? Is it unusual? We will answer all your queries in this article.
As cases are on the rise in India, it is important that we understand the virus and the way it spread from one individual to another. To begin with, let's know what is this new virus which is wreaking havoc in the country.
It is an Influenza A subtype H3N2 virus which mainly attacks the respiratory system of the body. Influenza viruses that have the ability to cause infectious diseases are called flu. There are four different types of these viruses - A, B, C and D. H3N2 virus is a mutation that occurred in the Influenza A virus.
In a statement, United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that the H3N2 virus had caused the 1968 flu pandemic. The outbreak led to the death of around 1 million people globally and about 100,000 in the US.
It was a few months back when India was in the grip of the COVID-19 virus. The outbreak led to the deaths of millions of people in the world, and India was among the worst affected nations. People couldn't even forget the terrifying pictures of the back-to-back waves of the virus and the emotional damage that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused and now, seems like the country is standing at the threshold of yet another season of dreadful virus infection.
H3N2 is the topic most concerning virus at the moment, which has similar symptoms to COVID. But, the virus comes with different features. To understand who is at a higher risk of catching the virus, we quoted what some experts have said. Immunity is one of the major factors in play when asked, who is more at risk. H3N2 is highly contagious in nature, and here is a list of people who are at higher risk:
As per the experts, there is no set timeline for the duration of the infection caused by the H3N2 virus. In most of the cases, reported so far in the country, experts have noticed that the infection lasts between 5 to 15 days, with symptoms that look like flu. The duration and the effect of the virus completely depend on the immunity of the patient.
In most cases, the infection starts with a high fever, which fades away at the end of the three days. However, persistent cough can persist for 4-5 days extra.
Are you infected? How to know if you have caught the H3N2 virus? A statement from the ICMR said, "A persistent cough, sometimes accompanied by fever, running through India for the past two-three months is due to Influenza A subtype H3N2." Here is a list of the top 10 signs and symptoms of the H3N2 virus infection:
Follow TheHealtSite.com to know more about the H3N2 virus infection, and the ways it can spread from one individual to another.
