On June 20, a topic “It is recommended to take parents to get the shingles vaccine as soon as possible” quickly became a hot search on Weibo, with over 500 million views. This has aroused the curiosity of many readers, “Is the shingles vaccine a must-have vaccine for the elderly?” Wu Wenfeng, director of the Dengfeng Street Community Health Service Center in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, introduced to the Yangcheng Evening News reporter that people over 50 years old in my country There are about 1.56 million new cases of herpes zoster every year. Because the resistance of middle-aged and elderly people is easy to decline and some patients may have “neuralgia” after being infected with herpes zoster, it is recommended that people with economic conditions can start at the age of 50. vaccinate against herpes zoster virus.

Neuralgia in elderly patients over 60 with herpes zoster

According to experts, the herpes zoster virus is the same type of virus that causes chickenpox in childhood. When the body’s resistance is low or fatigued, or catch a cold, the virus can be activated again, causing herpes zoster. Mr. Liu, 56, contracted shingles a month ago. “At that time, there was a mung bean-sized erythema on the right waist. At first I thought it was eczema, so I applied some ointment such as dermatitis. After more than 20 days of boiling, the blisters gradually disappeared, but now the pain is getting worse and worse. .”

Later, Mr. Liu went to the Dengfeng Street Community Health Service Center to see a doctor. The doctor said that the herpes zoster virus destroyed the nerves, and he suffered from “postherpetic neuralgia”. Wu Wenfeng pointed out, “The most common age of herpes zoster is the middle-aged and the elderly, especially those who take steroids or immunosuppressants for a long time. The disease course of herpes zoster is about half a month. In the first three days or so, itching, burning, and severe pain occurred at the onset site, followed by mung bean-sized herpes, which quickly became banded. When the herpes was dry and crusted, it was basically calculated. However, some patients disappeared completely after the blisters. , there is still neuralgia left. According to statistics, about 10% of patients with herpes zoster will be complicated with postherpetic neuralgia, and the incidence rate is the highest in elderly patients over 60 years old, up to 50%-75%.”

Vaccination protection rate of up to 97%

Generally speaking, most people will only have shingles once, unless there is an underlying disease and the health is very poor, shingles will recur. “There are some elderly people with poor immunity, such as advanced age, cellular immune deficiency, mental stress, fatigue, etc., which often induce shingles, and women are at higher risk than men.” Wu Wenfeng said, “We have encountered Lupus erythematosus patients suffer from herpes zoster at the same time, which makes it even worse and the pain is unbearable.”

It is reported that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has included the shingles vaccine into the adult immunization program and recommends it for people over 50 years old. According to the reporter’s understanding, there are two main herpes zoster vaccines that have been listed abroad: one is the live attenuated vaccine of Merck; the other is the recombinant vaccine of GlaxoSmithKline, which was approved for marketing in my country in 2019. .

Wang Ming, chief expert of Guangzhou Preventive Medicine Association, told reporters that according to the clinical study of recombinant vaccines, the 50-69-year-old age group received 2 doses of recombinant shingles vaccine, the effect of preventing shingles can be as high as 97%, and the prevention of neuralgia can be as high as 97%. Up to 91%; for people over 70 years old, the protection is still greater than 85%. Because the risk of developing shingles increases with age, vaccination is recommended for people over 50 to prevent shingles in old age.

“Is it very painful after vaccination, and are the side effects large?” According to the reporter’s understanding, the elderly are more concerned about the side effects of shingles vaccination. Wu Wenfeng said that about 80% of the vaccinated people experienced mild or moderate arm pain; more than 50% of the vaccinated people also experienced symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and headache. Clinical trials have shown that about 1/6 of the vaccinated people will experience the above side effects, but some of them disappear spontaneously within 2-3 days. “I received the shingles vaccine last year. I had a little pain in the first day or two of the vaccination, but it was relieved on the third day.” Wang Ming said.

It is worth mentioning that at present, residents over the age of 50 can make an appointment to receive the shingles vaccine at various social health centers in Guangzhou. The strip vaccine is 1,629 yuan/dose, with a total of two doses, and the second dose and the first dose are vaccinated two months apart.

Southern Metropolis Daily reported that this morning (18th), the fever clinic of the Guangzhou Women’s and Children’s Medical Center was full of people, and the long queue for treatment was outside, more than 10 meters long. All of the above have caught a cold.” “The family has been recruited one after another.”

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Long queues in general fever clinics Photo by Aoyi News

Fever clinics are overcrowded, doctor: flu peak has already occurred

Ms. Chen, who lives on Dongshan Street in Yuexiu District, took her child to the fever clinic of Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center early this morning. At night, her youngest son had a high fever of 40.6 degrees. “My child had a fever of around 39 degrees before, but he was very sensitive to ‘Merrill’ antipyretic medicine. Usually, he took this medicine and the fever went down quickly. But this time is completely different.” Ms. Chen said that this time her son had a fever It is already over 40°, but taking antipyretics is slow to take effect. She believes that this fever is not caused by a common cold. In a desperate situation, he took the child to the Women’s and Children’s Medical Center for treatment. “The children’s kindergarten has recently issued a notice of influenza prevention, and I feel that this influenza is menacing.”

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Aoyi News Photo at the door of the pediatric emergency department

Unexpectedly, she was dumbfounded as soon as she arrived at the hospital, and the crowd of people lined up more than ten meters outside the outpatient hall. “I have brought my children here many times before, and I have never encountered such a situation.” Then, the hospital staff took the initiative to remind, “Have you registered? There are too many people, and it will take several hours to queue.” From time to time, parents leave with their children disappointed. Finally, Ms. Chen also took the child home first.

It is understood that recently, many places in the south have entered the high season of influenza in summer. With the peak of influenza, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, as a sentinel hospital for children with fever in Guangzhou, has also seen a continuous increase in the number of fever clinic visits in the past two weeks. There is a very high chance that a medical test will test positive for the flu. Since June, the number of outpatient visits for fever in Zhujiang New Town and Children’s Hospital has gradually increased from about 1,000 at the beginning of the month to more than 1,700. The outpatient department of pediatrics has also quickly activated the emergency overtime mechanism. Doctors in fever clinics also work 1-2 hours of overtime every day.

In an interview with the media, an attending physician of the Department of Pediatrics at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Haizhu District, Guangzhou City said that the influenza A in the south this year is mainly influenza A. “This is not a new type of virus, because the recent dragon boat water is affected by humidity and temperature, so there has been a peak of flu this month.”

The Guangzhou Women’s and Children’s Center stated on the official account that the most common influenza in recent days is influenza A, and the main difference from the common cold in symptoms is the high peak of fever and the long duration of fever. Some adults and children will be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as headache and muscle pain, while the common cold is mainly characterized by respiratory symptoms such as runny nose and cough. For children without complications, flu symptoms such as a runny nose and cough are less obvious. In particular, it is emphasized that influenza is also caused by viral infection. For children without underlying diseases, influenza is usually acute and self-limiting, so parents do not need to be overly anxious. outpatient treatment.

Expert: Do not take antiviral drugs on your own

Influenza A is raging, and the drug “oseltamivir”, which specializes in the treatment of influenza virus, has become “hard currency”. Many parents responded on the Internet that the drug has been out of stock in pharmacies.

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Social platform netizens provide

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Social platform netizens provide

When a child is sick, the most anxious group is the parents. What should parents be aware of when it comes to medication?

Aoyi News interviewed Dr. He Yanling, the former chief pharmacist of the Guangzhou Women’s and Children’s Medical Center. She said that if the child has fever, runny nose and other early symptoms of a cold, he can go to the nearest community hospital for a throat swab test or blood routine test to confirm whether for the flu. Never self-medicate with antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir. After the diagnosis is confirmed, the treatment course should be strictly controlled, and antipyretics should be used symptomatically.

Dr. He Yanling pointed out that influenza is a contagious epidemic. The first priority should be prevention. It is recommended to wear a mask when going out in the near future. If someone in your family or kindergarten has the flu, you should avoid contact as much as possible. Generally, you do not need to use antibacterial drugs.

Guangdong CDC: It has entered the peak of influenza epidemic in summer

Kang Min, director of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Institute of the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reminded: Influenza surveillance data indicates that Guangdong has entered the peak of influenza epidemic in summer. It is reported that the main symptoms of influenza are fever, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, chills, chills, fatigue, loss of appetite, and some children may also experience vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In most patients, the body temperature gradually subsided 3-4 days after the onset of the disease, and the systemic symptoms improved, but the cough could last for 1-2 weeks.

Guangdong Province CDC proposed that in terms of influenza prevention, non-drug means and vaccine prevention for key populations should be done well. Getting the flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the flu and can significantly reduce the risk of serious complications for those who receive it. Because influenza viruses are prone to mutation, the World Health Organization will update the vaccine composition annually based on global influenza surveillance and recommend annual vaccination, especially for the elderly, children, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases, those who take care of infants and young children, and medical staff.

Influenza class

1. Influenza is an infectious disease caused by influenza virus infection. It can be divided into four types: A, B, C, and D. The common influenza viruses are mainly type A and type B, which is what we often say The biggest feature of influenza is that it is highly contagious and has a high morbidity rate.

Second, the common cold usually has no or only very mild systemic symptoms, mainly nasal symptoms, such as sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, etc., without or only accompanied by moderate to low-grade fever or short-term High fever, most without chills.

3. The symptoms of influenza are often more severe. Once children are infected with influenza, they often show sudden onset of illness. Older children can show symptoms similar to adults, mainly fever, and most of them are high fever of 39~40℃ , with chills, more than 3-5 days. In addition, there are systemic poisoning symptoms such as fatigue, headache, and systemic muscle aches, and a few can also be accompanied by gastrointestinal manifestations, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. For younger children, their symptoms are often less obvious, and may only be manifested as fever and cough.

Fourth, the common cold rarely has complications, but the flu is different. Compared with the common cold, it is more likely to cause pneumonia, myocarditis, meningitis and other complications, and even severe cases can lead to death. Laryngitis, bronchitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia and gastrointestinal symptoms caused by influenza virus are more common than adults. According to statistics, the proportion of children hospitalized with seasonal influenza complicated by pneumonia and otitis media reaches 10% to 27%.

5. When fever occurs, medical students should avoid going to school with illness as soon as possible. If the child has symptoms such as cough, runny nose, fever, etc., be sure to seek medical attention as soon as possible, do not take medicine at home, and be sure to carry out corresponding treatment under the guidance of a professional doctor. If influenza is diagnosed, anti-influenza treatment, including oral medication and symptomatic treatment, is required.

6. In addition, parents should arrange meals reasonably, so that children can maintain a good life and rest, improve their own immunity, and recover better. Generally mild flu can be controlled within 3-5 days.

7. For students who are sick with the flu, it is necessary to avoid taking the sick to class until the flu symptoms disappear, and the body temperature must be normal for at least 48 hours.

8. Influenza patients should also be separated from other family members, preferably in a separate room, preferably wearing a mask, and maintaining indoor ventilation at the same time. If conditions permit, the room can be disinfected with ultraviolet light. When sneezing, be sure to use a towel, Cover with a tissue or upper arm. Family members who live with you should also pay attention to hand hygiene, change your clothes before going out, and minimize contact with other people.

9. Daily protective measures

• Maintain good respiratory hygiene and cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, towel, etc. when coughing or sneezing.

• Wash your hands frequently, try to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; eat a balanced diet, exercise moderately, and get enough rest.

• Avoid close contact with people with flu-like symptoms. During flu season, try to avoid going to crowded places. Masks should be properly worn in closed environments, crowded places, poorly ventilated places, medical institutions, etc. and when in close contact with others.

Is nucleic acid detection sensitivity affected by virus mutation?

Nucleic acid detection is a mature and internationally accepted laboratory diagnostic method. The nucleic acid detection method is highly sensitive, and the specificity can reach 100% in terms of methodology. That is to say, the positive result of nucleic acid test is equivalent to the result of pathogen culture and becomes the “gold standard” for diagnosis.

For the nucleic acid detection of the new coronavirus, the nucleic acid detection reagents used are aimed at the double-target or triple-target genes of the new crown. There is basically no possibility that the virus mutation will mutate in two or three target genes at the same time, so the virus mutation has no ability to detect nucleic acid detection. what impact. Judging from the national inter-laboratory quality evaluation results of the National Health Commission’s Clinical Laboratory Center for Delta and Omicron variants, as well as the practical application during epidemics across the country, the current nucleic acid detection can be effectively detected, which also proves that this a little.

What factors will affect the sampling results?

Specifically, the factors that affect throat swab sampling mainly include the following five aspects: one is the depth of throat swab collection, the second is the time of contact with the mucous membrane, the third is the intensity of sampling, and the fourth is the relationship between the sampler and the sampled. The height difference between the five is the degree of cooperation of the collected people in the collection process.

When participating in nucleic acid testing, it is necessary to actively support and cooperate with the sampling personnel, and standardize the coordination of sampling according to their on-site requirements to ensure the sampling effect.

Does nucleic acid detection sampling swab have any negative effects?

Sampling swabs are not cotton swabs. They are made of polyester or nylon fibers, which are similar to toothbrushes in daily life. Sampling is like brushing your teeth with a toothbrush, but it brushes the back wall of the pharynx in the mouth to take cells, and then puts the sampling swab into the sampling tube.

Sampling swabs belong to medical devices. The production environment and requirements are very strict. There are also relevant standards for quality supervision. There will be some stimuli during the sampling process, and different people feel different. For example, some people’s pharynx is more sensitive, they feel uncomfortable after sampling, feel a foreign body, they will feel itching or vomiting, and some people will be more tolerant. Individual differences are large.

In another case, the mouth is usually opened when sampling, and some people put the base of the tongue together with the soft palate. If the sampler wants to ensure the quality of the sampling, he will probe inside, looking for the posterior pharyngeal wall and tonsils. There is stimulation, and some people have a very strong response to stimulation, such as vomiting and coughing, but it is easy to relieve once the sampling is completed. So sampling is not harmful to the individual.

Does a positive nucleic acid test environmental sample mean that the environment is infectious?

The detection of positive nucleic acid in environmental samples does not mean that there must be live viruses in the environmental samples. To identify whether there is live virus, cell virus isolation must be performed, or virus isolation in sensitive mice to determine whether there is live virus.

Whether it is a dead virus or a live virus, nucleic acid is contained in environmental samples, and nucleic acid testing can be positive. Therefore, a positive nucleic acid detection does not mean that it has a live virus, and comprehensive research and judgment is required.

When testing environmental samples, we must pay attention to the source of nucleic acid testing samples. If it comes from the vaccination site, because the vaccine used at the vaccination site is an inactivated vaccine prepared from complete virus particles, this vaccine has complete viral nucleic acid, and the nucleic acid test will be positive, which is why the cotton swab at the vaccination site must not be used. Just throw it away. Therefore, if a positive test is detected in this environment, there is a high probability that it is the nucleic acid of the inactivated vaccine. This kind of nucleic acid removal operation does not mean that there is a live virus. If a positive nucleic acid is detected in an environmental sample, it can be simply understood that there is nucleic acid of the new coronavirus, but whether there is a live virus or not requires a very strict judgment.

The global monkeypox outbreak began in Britain, which has the highest number of confirmed cases of the disease. The Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) published its first technical briefing on the OUTBREAK of monkeypox in the UK on 10 June local time. According to the report, 99 percent of monkeypox cases interviewed in the UK were among men in their 30s and 40s, with many already showing symptoms in April. Geographic, multi-channel sexual networks amplify the spread of monkeypox virus. Mutations that occur in the monkeypox virus genome may affect the function of the virus proteins, including possibly making the virus more resistant.