Flu in Karachi: cases double at JPMC and Civil. Flu or cold, and how to stop it spreading at home

Flu cases have roughly doubled at two of Karachi’s biggest public hospitals in just over a week, doctors told Dawn on Monday, 26 October. At Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), daily flu patients went from 30-40 to 70-80; at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, from 8-10 to 30-40.

Doctors there link it to the change of season and cooler nights. Here is what is happening, how to tell flu from a cold, and the small things at home that make the biggest difference.

What doctors in Karachi are seeing

Dr Irfan Siddiqui, who heads JPMC’s emergency department, called the hospital numbers the “tip of the iceberg”: most people go to neighbourhood clinics first and only reach an emergency room when they get seriously ill. Many of JPMC’s patients are aged 18 to 32, he said, and patients are taking longer than usual to recover.

At Civil Hospital, Dr Imran Sarwar said the hospital was seeing three to five patients from the same family, which suggests the virus is spreading easily inside homes this time. Treatment is mostly for symptoms, he said, and only a few complicated cases need admission.

Is it flu or a cold?

The quickest clue is speed. A cold creeps in; flu hits you within hours. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Flu: sudden fever or chills, body aches (often severe), headache, heavy tiredness, cough and sore throat. Children sometimes vomit or get diarrhoea.
• Cold: gradual start, sneezing, a stuffy nose and sore throat, and fever is rare.

The World Health Organization says flu symptoms usually start about two days after catching it and most people recover within a week, though the dry cough can last two weeks or more.

Warning signs: when to see a doctor straight away

The CDC lists these as signs to get medical care right away:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Chest pain or pressure that doesn’t go away
• Confusion, constant dizziness or being unable to stay awake
• Not passing urine (in children, none for 8 hours)
• In children: fast breathing, ribs pulling in with each breath, bluish lips, or not responding normally
• Any fever in a baby under 12 weeks
• A fever or cough that gets better and then comes back worse

Pregnant women, children under five, people over 65 and anyone with diabetes, heart, lung or kidney problems are at higher risk, according to WHO. They should see a doctor early rather than wait it out. Don’t start antibiotics on your own; flu is a virus, and a doctor will decide what treatment is needed.

How to stop flu spreading at home

This is the part that matters in a Pakistani house, where several people share rooms, a bathroom and the same dastarkhwan. Based on WHO’s advice and what the Karachi doctors recommended:

1. Give the sick person their own space if you can: a separate room or at least a separate bed, and their own glass, towel and plate.
2. Wash hands with soap often, especially before cooking and eating. Keep soap at the kitchen sink, not just the bathroom.
3. Cough into a tissue or elbow, throw the tissue away, then wash hands.
4. Open a window for a while each day. Fresh air helps in a closed room where everyone sits together.
5. Stay home when sick. One day at office or school can infect a whole team or class.
6. Rest, sleep and drink plenty of fluids: water, soup, and ORS if there is vomiting or diarrhoea.
7. Wipe shared things like door handles, the TV remote and phones.

What about the flu vaccine?

Dr Siddiqui said a yearly flu shot is the most effective way to cut the risk of flu and its complications. In Pakistan it is mostly available at private hospitals and pharmacies and costs money, Dawn noted. If someone at home is elderly, pregnant or has a long-term illness, ask your doctor whether it is worth getting now.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about symptoms, speak to a doctor.