High patient admittance for influenza

Santo Domingo – Private clinics and clinical laboratories are receiving a significant increase of patients in their consultation and emergency areas, as well as clinical laboratories of people with flu-like symptoms seeking tests to determine the presence of Covid-19, influenza or any other respiratory virus.

The number of people with fever, sore throat and muscle pain, headache and general malaise and in some cases diarrhea, vomiting and loss of smell and taste, has increased in recent weeks in the country, which is attributed by specialists to the rains and high temperatures that have been recorded.

The high demand of patients with indications to undergo respiratory panels, to determine the type of virus affecting them, or only Covid-19 and influenza tests has been increasing in the main clinical laboratories of the country, according to patients’ reports.

In addition, the search for information from people interested in knowing where the Ministry of Public Health is performing the free Covid test is increasing.

INFLUENZA A AND B
A similar situation is also being experienced in private clinics, with an increase of patients with respiratory processes, mostly with influenza A and B, both in their consultation services, emergencies and in some cases, hospitalization, confirmed Rafael Mena, president of the National Association of Private Clinics and Hospitals (ANDECLIP).

He said that so far it is a moderate increase, which has not overflowed the capacity of the centers, and that when the test is done most of the cases are influenza A and B.

The doctor explained that hospitalizations are occurring mostly in those patients who have comorbid conditions, among them those suffering from asthma.

Special attention to hygiene
Avoid conglomerates, use masks when going to health centers or where people are crowded, cover your mouth when coughing using handkerchiefs or your elbow, stay at home isolated, do not go to work, school, or places where there are more people, are among the recommendations made by doctors specialized in the management of viral processes to avoid spreading the disease.

They consider it essential not to self-medicate and to go to the doctor, because there is also circulation of dengue and other diseases and it is important to know what type of virus is affecting the patient and to sanitize hands frequently.