Dr Hilary believes flu is ‘more of a risk’ than Covid this winter
A doctor has shared how to distinguish swine flu from other respiratory viruses. The advice comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed a new strain of so-called ‘swine flu’ – influenza A (H1N2)v – in a British person.
This is the first detection of this strain of flu ever found in a human in the UK, but A (H1N2)v is similar to flu viruses currently circulating in British pigs. The infection was detected in a routine flu screening test at a GP surgery in North Yorkshire.
The infected person experienced a mild illness and has now fully recovered. However, they are not known to have worked with pigs so investigations are looking at where the infection came from and its risk to other humans.
Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan, Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, said: ‘It’s known this specific strain of swine flu can be passed from ill pigs to humans, but it would be rare for the H1N2 strain to be passed from human to human without initial exposure to pigs. The fact that the patient, who lives in North Yorkshire, has no known contact with infected animals is leading to a wider investigation.”
The good news is that this new strain of swine flu is “very different” to the variant that killed 457 people in the UK back in 2009/10. However, close contacts of the patient are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations.
READ MORE Symptoms of ‘swine-flu like’ virus after first human case discovered in UK
As symptom awareness remains front and centre, swine flu symptoms to look out for include:
- High temperature
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Body aches
- Chills
- Sneezing.
Worryingly, Dr Narayanan warned that these symptoms are “very similar” to seasonal flu and also some strains of COVID-19. Furthermore, swine flu could be also mistaken for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which produces cold-like symptoms but generally not a high temperature.
The doctor explained that swine flu symptoms may also include:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea.
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Therefore, he recommended getting tested if you’re not sure what’s causing your symptoms. The doctor said: “The early identification of this British case underlines how vital routine testing for flu and Covid remains.
“The individual was tested by their GP after experiencing respiratory symptoms and the virus was identified as part of routine national flu surveillance undertaken by UKHSA and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). The UKHSA used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a method of testing.
“With health services under strain this winter, it is not always easy to access a flu test. However, it may be important for people to identify exactly which virus they are suffering from.”
There are also private tests available, such as London Medical Laboratory’s pioneering 4-in-1 Covid, RSV, influenza A and B test. Dr Narayanan explained that this is “particularly useful” if you’re trying to differentiate whether you are suffering from a strain of flu or coronavirus.
The expert added that while the current strains of flu in circulation may produce only mild illness in one person they may cause severe symptoms and even prove fatal to others. He said: “This is particularly important in people with pre-existing health conditions and long-term diseases.
“Similarly, while the RSV virus may only produce chesty cold symptoms in some people, it can severely affect elderly people and children. All of these viruses, including swine flu, display very similar initial symptoms to the common cold, but these symptoms may quickly escalate. For this reason alone, many people will want the peace of mind a test result can bring, ensuring they are not endangering anyone in their family this festive season.”
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