“the month of January will be complicated” projects SOS Médecin

Before Christmas, the flu epidemic was already making itself felt. But the multiple family reunions induced by the end-of-year holidays have intensified contamination with the seasonal virus. Michel Khouri, general practitioner for SOS doctor Dijon, answers 5 questions about the epidemic in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

We explained it to you on December 13: since December 8, Burgundy-Franche-Comté has been on “seasonal flu” alert.

Two weeks after the start of the alert, New Year’s Eve and Christmas dinners with family unfortunately allowed the epidemic to make its way in the region. Cases are therefore still on the rise in Burgundy-Franche-Comté and contamination is not about to slow down. According to the Sentienlles network, on December 22, the incidence rate of cases of influenza – among patients consulting for an acute respiratory infection – was estimated at 180 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. An incidence which has since necessarily increased.

According to Public Health France, each winter, 2 to 6 million people are affected by the flu virus and 10,000 deaths are recorded each year, more than 90% of which occur among people aged over 65.

To fight against the spread of the flu virus and inform residents of the region, general practitioner Michel Khouri, member of SOS doctor in Dijon, answers the main questions that may be asked during a seasonal flu epidemic. .

Michel Khouri : “Yes, unfortunately. Even if I only encounter a few exceptional cases, it remains a possible combination. You really have to be unlucky to combine the two. On the other hand, they are exactly the same symptoms. We will have a flu-like illness with fever, aches, a fairly severe cough, fatigue… And we cannot make the right distinction with the symptoms. It is the PCR tests that allow us to know if they are linked to Covid or. to the flu.”

We are seeing an increase in cases of flu. How long have they been increasing? ?

M.K. : “The epidemic started around the end of November with a few cases here and there. We will say that it has intensified over the past two weeks, with a big increase among children, who must have contaminated their “The holiday season obviously does not help the epidemic, but the increase intensified before family reunions linked to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. In my opinion, we are going to have a complicated month of January.

However, there is a vaccine against the flu. Are the French thinking about doing it? ?

M.K. : “There are a lot of them. Mainly fragile people, elderly people who are very aware of the potential seriousness of the flu. These people are used to doing it and go directly to their GP. For younger people, either they are not interested or they are a little afraid of the vaccine and don’t always do it. Most of the time, people get vaccinated when they have developed a flu that has kept them in bed. a good time. I’m sure that the following year they will have had their vaccine.”

Is the vaccine the miracle cure to avoid contracting the disease this winter? ?

M.K. : “The vaccine will not prevent you from having the flu, that is to say you can contract the virus, but have a limited form of it with much milder symptoms. As we have no treatment specific against the flu, the best means of protection remains in any case vaccination.”

And despite everything, once you have the flu, how to cure it ?

M.K. : “In terms of treatment, we will give you something to limit the symptoms: paracetamol for fever and aches, additional treatments to clear the nose, relieve coughing fits… But above all, we heal with patience “It takes time. Depending on the person, the symptoms can last 3 days, 5 days, or a little longer, around a week.”

With Léa Wolber