27 July 2007
	Better safe By Shoks Mzolo Flu can result in major complications

Isn't it just great? Winter is almost over. And so are the chances of catching influenza - a contagious respiratory illness - which is not strictly seasonal. For businesses and the economy at large, the end of this season means a decline in levels of absenteeism, which are generally ascribed to chest and respiratory problems such as influenza - often confused with a common cold. However, flu is more serious. In the US, for instance, more than 220 000 people are hospitalised each year due to flu complications and about 36 000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WHAT IT MEANS Flu may be life threatening to those with HIV/Aids or hypertension In SA, over the past five years 66 out of every 100 employees took time off each year due to flu or respiratory illness, according to Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions. Flu symptoms include fever (high body temperature of up to 40°), headaches, body aches, weakness and a runny nose, according to the Healthwise Handbook. These can span 10 days, whereas in other viral illnesses symptoms usually subside in a shorter period of time. Flu may be life-threatening to vulnerable groups such as people with diabetes, HIV/Aids and hypertension. It is then concerning that some medical schemes, including market leader Discovery and the civil servants' scheme Gems, are paying little or no attention to preventive care - in general. "As a country, we're not doing enough to promote preventive care. Instead, we tend to focus on curative care. That's wrong," says Dr Lucille Blumberg of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Those who tend to go for flu injections and still end up getting a common cold tend to blame the vaccine for their illness. Even with a flu jab, says Blumberg, you may still be exposed to a cold. Dr Walter Mophosho, a GP in Alexandra, says due to the lack of flu prevention awareness in SA, "most people leave it until it's too late - when they get really sick - instead of getting their vaccine as early as February or March." Blumberg agrees. South Africans don't fully comprehend the impact of flu and hence their lacklustre response, she says. That is, until it hits them. She decries the fact that employers and schemes are not leading from the front in raising more awareness about the seriousness of flu. Bonitas is one of the schemes that encourage members to take flu shots. On its website, the organisation advises its members to "beat the winter blues" by accessing "free flu vaccine every year". But, according to Bonitas boss Bafana Nkosi and Mophosho people tend to ignore such calls to their detriment. "Many people think they are immune," Mophosho says. If you suspect you have it, the Healthwise Handbook recommends antiviral medicine to lower the severity. Also consider the following tips from the book: Drink extra fluids like hot tea with lemon, juice, soup and water to replace fluids lost through fever. Take paracetamol or aspirin. People aged 20 and younger are advised to avoid aspirin as it can induce the life-threatening Reye's syndrome. Take it easy, relax. Based on what experts say, get your annual flu vaccine; stop smoking; and keep your resistance levels higher by following a healthy diet.