New Delhi: Influenza A subtype H3N2 is to blame for a persistent cough that has been sweeping through India for the past two to three months, according to ICMR specialists.
According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientists who closely monitor illnesses brought on by respiratory viruses through the network of Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories, the H3N2, which has been in widespread circulation for the past two to three months, causes more hospitalisations than other subtypes.
They have also suggested a list of Dos and Don’ts for people to follow to protect themselves from contracting the virus.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), on the other hand, has advised against the indiscriminate use of antibiotics amid rising cases of cough, cold and nausea across the country.
Seasonal fever will last five to seven days, it said.
The fever goes away at the end of three days but the cough can persist for up to three weeks, the IMA’s Standing Committee for Anti-Microbial Resistance said.
Viral cases have also surged due to air pollution, it said, adding that it mostly occurs in people aged below 15 and above 50 and causes upper respiratory infections along with fever.
The association also asked doctors to prescribe only symptomatic treatment and not antibiotics.
“Right now, people start taking antibiotics like Azithromycin and Amoxiclav etc, that too without caring for done and frequency and stop it once start feeling better. This needs to be stopped as it leads to antibiotic resistance. Whenever there will be a real use of antibiotics, they will not work due to the resistance,” the IMA said in a statement.
The most misused antibiotics are Amoxicillin, Norfloxacin, Oprofloxacin, Ofloxacin and Levofloxacin. These are being used for the treatment of diarrhoea and UTI, it said.
“We have already seen widespread use of Azithromycin and Ivermectin during Covid and this too has led to resistance. It is necessary to diagnose whether the infection is bacterial or not before prescribing antibiotics,” it said.
With PTI inputs