MANILA – January and February are the peak months for the flu season and the public should take extra precautions to avoid contracting and spreading the virus, warned the Department of Health.
DOH undersecretary Eric Domingo on Tuesday called January and February as “peak months although when we compared it sa mga data natin from last year ng nationwide all over the country, we’re less than the cases that we got last year so hindi siya kasing severe from last year.”
He added, “‘Yung last year kasi was a particularly bad season for flu – hindi lang sa Pilipinas pero sa buong mundo.”
The different strains of flu are said to be contagious once it comes in contact with the body, whether it be through coughs from another person or holding contaminated objects and proceeding to touch the mouth or nose.
Domingo urged for people to cover their mouths every time they cough or sneeze to prevent the spread of the virus.
“Tuwing uubo o ha–haching, kailangan mag-cover tayo ng ating mukha, ng ating bibig, ng ating ilong para hindi kumalat, kasi nakukuha ‘yung infection na to sa droplets. Kung may alam tayo na inuubo na kasama natin sa upisina, sa mga crowded na sasakyan, pwede talaga mag-cover ng ilong tyaka bibig para hindi mahawa.”
Except for the very young, the very old, and those with weak immune system due to other illnesses, the flu is easily cured.
“Sarili yan. Gagaling naman talaga, kailangan lang magpahinga, mag-hydrate kung may lagnat, iinom ng gamot sa lagnat, and karamihan hindi kailangan ma-ospital,” Domingo said.
According to the report, once the flu turns into pneumonia, it becomes a bad indication that the immune system has given up on repairing the damages done by the virus and the body is trying as much as it could to still heal itself.
Out of the 136,037 people who sought help for the flu, over 19 people soon had pneumonia and died. (With GMA News/PN)
