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After the weather has cooled down in Lithuania, the number of cases of acute upper respiratory tract infections (CVD) increases every year. It is a heterogeneous group of diseases in terms of etiology and location of the disease, which includes influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial, and coronavirus infections. UVC is the most common infectious disease in the world. Approximately 500 thousand are registered in Lithuania every year. diseases with these infections. These diseases are caused by various microorganisms that damage the respiratory system. Viruses are particularly active in the presence of marked fluctuations in temperature.
Viruses are spread by airborne droplets or by contact with an infected person. These infections are spread along with saliva particles through sneezing, coughing, and direct contact. The disease usually begins acutely: fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, sneezing, watery eyes. When infected, symptoms can appear within a few hours.
Of all these viral illnesses, the flu virus is probably the leading cause of health problems. This disease is characterized not only by an extremely unpleasant course, but also by possible complications, the most dangerous of which are: pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and meninges (viral encephalitis, meningitis), inflammation of the heart muscle, inflammation of the kidneys, viral inflammation of the eyes (depending on from the site of damage to the structural part of the eye, complete blindness is possible) and so on. Also, one of the possible complications of influenza is an additional bacterial infection caused by pneumococci.
What is a pneumococcal infection?
Pneumococcal infection is an acute bacterial infection, most commonly with complications such as otitis media, sore throat, pneumonia, but it can also be the cause of meningitis, endocarditis, and other diseases, depending on the location of the infectious process.
It is a fairly common infection in both children and adults, with a particularly high risk of developing the disease in children under 5 and over 65. The pathogen spreads in a drop of air upon entering the human airways, multiplies there, and as a result, inflammation of the airways develops.
It is true that these bacteria can often be found in the nasopharynx of perfectly healthy people and generally do not cause serious health problems. However, if a person has a chronic disease, their immunity weakens, the risk of getting sick increases greatly. It is also caused by unfavorable external factors: colds, fatigue, stressful situations, other viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, etc.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Saulius Čaplinskas
The clinical course of pneumococcal disease is not different from other bacterial diseases, but it is usually very serious. Several symptoms can be distinguished: sudden fever, severe chest pain, cough, shortness of breath. The disease is treated with antibiotics, but there is increasing talk of circulating pathogens, especially in hospitals, that they are resistant to some antibiotics. That is why, in addition to non-specific protective measures (strengthening immunity, general personal hygiene skills, hand washing), vaccines are the most effective means of protection against pneumococcal infection.
Why everyone should get vaccinated
According to S. Čaplinskas, illnesses caused by colds are caused by various viruses. For example, about 30 percent. Colds are caused by coronaviruses that are not as angry as the last one that caused a global pandemic. We all also know the flu virus, of which, fortunately, there are vaccines and medications that work against this particular virus.
Another common group of microbes that cause bacterial infections are the aforementioned pneumococci, which adhere particularly well when our mucous membranes are damaged by other colds and develop into dangerous inflammation of the ears, throat, or lungs. On the contrary, if we contract a pneumococcal infection, any viral illness, such as the flu or even COVID-19, can easily “stick”. This scenario, in which even two colds occur at the same time, is really possible and greatly worsens the patient’s condition.
“There are no drugs or vaccines for the coronavirus, so we can only protect ourselves with non-specific means. But we really can prevent pneumococcus. All you have to do is get vaccinated. This is especially true for older people with serious chronic illnesses, as very often, when they are admitted to the hospital for a problem, such as a fracture, they develop pneumococcal pneumonia that is circulating in the hospital.
The elderly person has little movement, resulting in poor ventilation of the lungs, weakened immunity. And when you enter the environment where you are exposed to infectious agents, you immediately fall ill.
Photo by Saulius Čaplinskas / What are the differences between cold, allergy and COVID-19 symptoms?
Therefore, vaccination against pneumococcal infection is unequivocally necessary, especially during this difficult period. If a person becomes ill with COVID-19 and still develops pneumococcus, we all understand what the threat is. I would suggest doing this even for young people who are more prone to colds and at the same time COVID-19. It’s just not worth the risk of getting an additional infection. Vaccination is also necessary for those planning elective surgeries, which may require longer hospital stays. This will protect against the complications of pneumococcal infection ”, advised the doctor.
Who owns the free vaccine
People at risk of pneumococcal infection get vaccinated for free. Your body is already weakened by chronic diseases, so the onset of any infection is more serious than in a healthy person and often exacerbates existing chronic disease, be it lung disease, diabetes, or heart disease. .
“That is why people with severe chronic illnesses are advised to get vaccinated against pneumococcal infection. Not using the free vaccine would be unacceptable negligence in this context, when the provision of health services was disrupted due to COVID-19. ”Said S. Čaplinskas.
The interviewee was glad to hear more and more from the elderly that the family doctor had offered them this vaccine and that they had been vaccinated. However, knowledge of the vaccine is not yet what one would like, and there is still room for family doctors to struggle.
“However, as many people as possible will know and take care of their parents and grandparents by informing them that when they interact with the doctors and ask about that possibility, the doctors will definitely respond and offer vaccines. And the situation will improve. Especially since, according to the Today’s data, it seems that after vaccination a full long-term immunity develops, perhaps even until the end of life, ”said the doctor.
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