WHICH INFLUENZA TYPE DO WE COMMONLY HAVE IN SINGAPORE?
“Although influenza A tends to be more commonly found here, both viruses circulate quite widely,” said Prof Tambyah, citing the latest report by the Ministry Of Health. “It shows that influenza A accounted for 78 per cent of the influenza cases detected in July with influenza B accounting for 12 per cent.” However, this breakdown varies from month to month.
As for the annual flu season that you often hear about, it is different in Singapore and other tropical countries, said Associate Professor Barnaby Young, a senior consultant at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. While temperate regions have a distinct flu season usually in winter, “it is much more complex and varies from year to year” in Singapore.
“Typically, we experience two peaks a year – one from about December to March, and another from May to August,” said Assoc Prof Young. But beyond those two periods, influenza viruses also circulate and cause year-round infections, he said.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFLUENZA A AND B, AND COVID-19?
Differentiating between influenza and COVID-19 can mean prescribing the right antiviral medication, said Assoc Prof Young. Oseltamivir is used for both influenza A and B, while Paxlovid is for COVID-19. “These can help speed recovery and reduce the risk of developing a severe illness,” he said, useful when you have very young ones or elderly folks at home.
But if that’s the case, why didn’t your family doctor perform an in-clinic test on you back before self-test kits were available? Even now, you’re often sent home with an MC and some medicine. No swabbing, nothing taken.
