New Caledonia suffers from the influenza A epidemic

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Caledonia suffers from the influenza A epidemic

After the Covid, another epidemic is currently raging in the territory: influenza A. The virus is spreading quite quickly throughout the territory.

Medriko Peteisi and Caroline Moureaux • Published on March 28, 2022 at 10:43 am

Joint pain, respiratory problems, runny nose, fever, enormous fatigue, these are some symptoms of influenza A. risk if the person is at risk of a serious form or not" explains Dr Sylvie Laumond, head of the public health service at Dass. " Then you respect the barrier gestures. The children, when they are at school and they have a fever, and they cough, and they have respiratory syndromes, the parents keep them at home until 'until they no longer have symptoms ."

A weakened population

Influenza A was identified on March 4 in the territory. Two weeks later, consultations for respiratory problems increased by 22%. Of the types of flu, it is the most virulent and the most contagious. And vulnerable people are more likely to catch it.

“ When we have already had an infection, for example if we had Covid some time ago and the flu virus passes, our immunity reacts less well than if we had to face only to one infection at a time, " continues Dr. Laumond.

Treat vulnerable people

Against the flu, there is no specific treatment, except for vulnerable people.
“ There is a treatment that is recommended for people who have risk factors. Within 48 hours of the appearance of symptoms, we can give them this treatment and we sent a letter to this effect the week last to doctors to precisely reduce the severity of the disease and also to reduce its transmissibility " emphasizes Dr Laumond. Ask your doctor if you are at risk.

The vaccine expected in April

The virus began its spread in Lifou . A thousand people have already caught it at Loyalties.
According to Dass, Fiji would suffer the same epidemic as us. Our two territories have the same genome.
The special Southern Hemisphere vaccine should arrive in April.

The report by Thérèse Waïa and Carawiane Carawiane

https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/la-caledonie-subit-l-epidemie-de-grippe-a-1266284.html

[sharon sanders]

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Influenza A: the epidemic saturates the emergencies of the Médipôle

The influenza A epidemic is on the rise in New Caledonia. Several additional beds had to be added to the Gaston-Bourret hospital, which calls on volunteers, doctors and nurses. A dedicated room has opened in the emergency room, which has been reorganized.

Brigitte Whaap and Nicolas Fasquel (Gédéon Richard) • Posted on April 2, 2022 at 11:53 a.m.

For 3 weeks, the Médipôle has been saturated, in Dumbéa. This crowd is linked to the influenza A epidemic. To cope with it, the hospital had to reorganize its services and open additional beds, placed in a dedicated room. A call for volunteers, doctors and nurses, has been launched.

The waiting room, which usually accommodates patients and their families, has been transformed into a treatment room. Patients are cared for by medical personnel, while waiting for an emergency room to become available to be seen by a doctor.

Patients sent to the Nou-Magnin Island clinic

The stretchers are everywhere, in the emergency corridor, proof of the saturation of the service. An increase of more than 20% in the number of visits, largely due to influenza A. "Despite the drop in the number of Covid patients in the emergency room, we have not seen a drop in activity. It turns out that the The vast majority of patients who come to the emergency room are infected with the influenza A virus" , confirms Doctor Frederick Langeron, deputy head of the Médipôle emergency department.

"We have an overactivity that exceeds 20%. Patients who come to the emergency room are sick with the flu, but not only. They most often require our technical platform for that. There are compensations for diabetes, kidney failure , CVA [Accidents vasculares cerébraux, NDLR] , everything goes through here” , completes the doctor.

Emergencies understaffed

The emergencies are saturated, but also the various departments of the hospital. To respond to this large flow of patients, additional hospital beds have been opened and some patients are sent to the Nouville clinic. In lack of personnel, the Médipôle is calling for volunteers.

We face the activity with constant workforce and almost constant means. If there are general practitioners and nurses who want and can help, they are welcome.
Frederick Langeron, Deputy Head of the Médipôle Emergency Department

Among the patients with influenza A are elderly people, with already comorbidities, and young patients with no history. In order to avoid long hours of waiting and overcrowding in emergencies, it is advisable for this category of people to go first to a general practitioner.

https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/province-sud/dumbea/grippe-a-l-epidemie-sature-les-urgences-du-medipole-1268264.html

[sharon sanders]

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