Influenza surveillance shows that the current level of influenza virus activity in China has increased, mainly influenza A. In response to the hot issues of influenza A prevention and treatment of public concern, the National Health Commission recently organized Wang Guiqiang, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the First Hospital of Peking University, Tong Zhaohui, deputy director of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, and Wang Quan, director of the Emergency Department of Beijing Children's Hospital, to give answers. What are the characteristics of influenza A? Do you need to take antiviral drugs? Wang Guiqiang said that influenza viruses are divided into three types: A, B and C, and A influenza viruses are most prone to mutation. Generally speaking, winter and spring are the high incidence periods of swine flu. Influenza A is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza A virus infection, which is different from the common cold. Influenza symptoms are more severe than common cold, which can lead to persistent fever, headache, muscle and joint soreness, vomiting and diarrhea, and general discomfort. The elderly and children are prone to gastrointestinal symptoms. Influenza is a self-limited disease, but there are many antiviral drugs in treatment. Not every patient needs to use antiviral drugs. It is recommended to use them early when the risk of severe illness is high and the symptoms are severe. Early use of antiviral drugs can shorten the course of disease, alleviate symptoms and reduce the risk of severe disease. How to judge whether you have swine flu? Tong Zhaohui said that the fever temperature of influenza is often higher than that of common cold, which may reach more than 39 degrees Celsius. If you find that you have some symptoms of upper respiratory tract, it is recommended to carry out influenza antigen screening first, and then carry out drug treatment. The duration of influenza is relatively long, generally 3 to 5 days, and severe cases can reach 5 to 7 days. However, the runny nose and cough symptoms of common cold can be improved quickly. Many patients infected with A flow feel that the symptoms of A flow seem to be very obvious, and even feel "more serious than the symptoms of COVID-19". In this regard, Tong Zhaohui said that all diseases with fever symptoms would cause great physical discomfort to people, but at present, there are not many patients with severe disease caused by this round of influenza A epidemic. According to the statistics of emergency and fever clinics in Chaoyang Hospital, the proportion of patients who need to be admitted to hospital and those with severe diseases is still relatively low. Children are vulnerable groups during the influenza epidemic. What situations should parents pay attention to? Wang Quan said that the majority of children infected with influenza are mild diseases, with respiratory tract infection as the main manifestation. Taking symptomatic drugs in time, drinking more water and taking more rest are conducive to children's recovery. During the epidemic period of influenza, if children at home have fever for more than three days or have a temperature of more than 40 degrees Celsius, and have symptoms such as dyspnea, pale face, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased urine volume, and confusion, they should seek medical attention at the first time. Some people are concerned about whether A and COVID-19 will be infected together. Tong Zhaohui introduced that both H1N1 and COVID-19 are respiratory infectious diseases, which may cause superinfection, but it is not necessary to worry too much. Only when the immune function is low and the COVID-19 in the body is not completely cleared, there is a certain possibility of co infection. At the same time, according to the acquired monitoring data of fever outpatient service, the majority of fever patients are currently H1N1, with a high proportion. Wearing masks, washing hands frequently, ventilating frequently, maintaining social distance, and actively vaccinating are all effective preventive measures against respiratory infectious diseases. (Xinhua News Agency)