Nasty flu cycle is on its way out
A virulent flu that has confined thousands of Greeks to their beds over the past six weeks is a nasty strain of the virus that appears every two or three years, experts said yesterday, noting that the current cycle should be over in about a month. There has been a steady reduction in the number of cases of this virus, which has been spreading through homes and offices since the beginning of the year, but there are still more cases than last year, Sotiris Tsiodras of the Center for Infectious Diseases Control (KEEL) told Kathimerini. This year’s outbreak has been provoked by the Type A virus, which is more disabling than the Type B virus that circulated last year, Tsiodras said. The Type A virus manifests itself through the classic symptoms of high temperatures, aching muscles and exhaustion but can drag on for up to a week, Tsiodras said, adding that the current cycle should have died out in four weeks. In the meantime, he recommended that those suffering symptoms get plenty of rest, drink lots of liquids and take painkillers but avoid aspirin and antibiotics.
