Don't ignore OMICRON's "5 major flu symptoms"! Intensive care doctors urge "four groups" to be screened quickly
The number of confirmed cases of Omicron is rising day by day, and there are 5 major “flu-like” symptoms to be alert to
The local Omicron epidemic continues to spread. According to data from the command center, a total of 4,270 people have been diagnosed between March 27 and April 9. However, most of the patients after vaccination have “mild symptoms”, making it difficult to distinguish the confirmed virus from cold symptoms, and the public is even more confused about when “rapid screening” is needed.
Dr. Huang Xuan, an expert in critical care medicine, pointed out in a social post that among patients infected with Omicron virus, common symptoms include sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, headache, fatigue, etc. A survey by South Korea’s National Central Medical Center even found that Omicron Fewer patients have fever symptoms than Delta because it mainly causes “upper respiratory tract infection”, with symptoms similar to influenza and common cold, and is different from the “lower respiratory tract infection” caused by Delta.
Under what circumstances is rapid screening needed? Intensivist: “Four groups” should be screened as soon as possible
Dr. Huang Xuan reminds the public that if symptoms such as sore throat, cough or runny nose last for more than 3 days, it is best to undergo rapid screening or PCR screening immediately. In addition, if people experience the following four conditions: “respiratory infection symptoms”, “overlapping footprints with confirmed cases”, “being in the same space as confirmed cases”, “locating in a high-risk area but personally having no obvious symptoms”, they must Quickly screen to find out if you have a confirmed diagnosis.
In addition, Dr. Huang Xuan explained through foreign research: Although Omicron has roughly the same symptoms as flu-like symptoms, having symptoms does not mean that there is a sufficient amount of virus in the body, and the results of rapid screening can be known early. Therefore, if people still have flu-like symptoms within 2-3 days, the results of rapid screening will be more accurate. On the contrary, if the test result is negative but flu-like symptoms persist, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately to confirm the symptoms and treat them.
The command center announced the isolation principle for people with mild symptoms. Doctors called for wearing masks, disinfecting, and air circulation.
Now that the Epidemic Command Center has announced guidelines for home isolation for asymptomatic and mild patients, how can we prevent people diagnosed at home from spreading the virus at home? Dr. Huang Xuan said that to avoid family transmission of confirmed cases at home, the following five measures can be taken to ensure the safety of people living together:
Reserve safe space. Research points out that if the safe living space is expanded to about 20-40 square meters, the incidence of household transmission can be reduced from 50% to 32.5%.
Bathroom equipment is independent. Using different toiletries can reduce the household transmission rate from 72.5% to 27.5%.
Make sure to wear a mask. If there are confirmed cases at home, remember to wear a mask, which can reduce the risk of household transmission by up to 79%. However, once a confirmed person shows symptoms and other family members wear masks, the protective effect will be significantly reduced.
Disinfect with disinfectant. Using disinfectant at home can significantly reduce the risk of household transmission. In addition, foreign studies show that if home disinfection is carried out at least once a day, the household transmission rate can be reduced from 90% to 10%.
Maintain air circulation. Open windows for at least 5 minutes every 30 minutes to ensure air circulation. Remember to use the “internal circulation” setting of the air conditioner to prevent outdoor air from entering the room. Also, when using a fan, make sure the airflow is directed outward rather than directed at you.
Source:
“How to avoid the spread of “people diagnosed at home” at home?
“Omicron and flu-like symptoms are increasingly overlapping: remember to get screened quickly”
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