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If you have a respiratory infection, don’t go find family for Christmas, says doctor

Rosana Richtmann, an infectious disease specialist at Instituto Emílio Ribas and Grupo Santa Joana, recommended this Thursday (23), in an interview with CNN, that if an individual is diagnosed with a case of respiratory infection, such as Influenza or Covid-19, do not meet with the family during Christmas.

“If you are someone with a clinical condition related to any respiratory infection, don’t go find your family. This is very important. Don’t expose the rest of the family. If you have the opportunity, get tested before meeting, especially if someone is more vulnerable, such as the elderly or people with lung disease,” said Richtmann.

The infectious disease specialist also gave tips for celebrations, such as meetings in open or airy places, for better air circulation. Even though people from the same family stay together when removing the masks, such as during feeding.

“Try to make family groups at joint tables. That is, those who live in the same house, at mealtime, the most important is when you will remove your mask to eat”, he concluded.

Prevention becomes essential at the current stage of the flu outbreak in the country, because the vaccine available this year was not designed to contain precisely this strain that is in circulation, called Darwin. It is among the mutations elected by the World Health Organization (WHO) last year.

Every year, WHO chooses two influenza A subtypes (one H1N1 type and the other H3N2 type) and two influenza B strains (Yamagata and Victoria strains).

The Darwin strain, identified in samples collected by the so-called sentinel units of influenza surveillance, belongs to the group of H3N2 viruses, but this year, the mutation chosen for the vaccine was another, the strain called Hong Kong.

Reference: CNN Brasil

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