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By Akriti Anand Mar 14, 2023 4:05:55 PM IST (Updated)
The WHO says only "influenza type A viruses are known to have caused pandemics". Now, H3N2, which has been causing a wave of infections in parts of India, is a subtype of the seasonal Influenza virus. So how dangerous is it and should we be worried about it? Find out here.
The H3N2 influenza virus, which has claimed two lives in India this year, has put citizens and the government on guard again with the horrors of the COVID pandemic still fresh in minds of the people. The fact that H3N2 causes the flu and is capable of triggering an epidemic has alerted health officials in the country. But how dangerous is it and should we be worried about it? Find out here.
1. The challenge of getting the right diagnosis
The wave of infection caused by the H3N2 influenza virus in various parts of India is being reported at a time when the coronavirus variant (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 infection has still not completely gone. While citizens have now learnt to live with the COVID-19 virus, an outbreak of another viral infection might pose a challenge to the right diagnosis of the illness. Is it the common cold, flu or COVID-19? That's the question one might ask when dealing with symptoms that are common to all three.
Difference between common cold, flu and Covid-19 | A symptom check
Influenza can cause severe illness or death, especially in people at high risk. Here's how it is different from COVID-19 and the common cold: