In Pakistan, the cases of flu and other respiratory tract infections often start increasing in October and peak in February. Getting the flu can trigger one’s body to release stress hormones, adrenalin or cortisol, to boost energy and fight infection.
However, stress hormones also stimulate the liver to make and release more blood sugar, causing the blood sugar level to increase. The high glucose level in blood caused by flu becomes difficult to bring back to normal.
These observations were made by diabetologist and endocrinologist Prof Zaman Sheikh at a public health awareness seminar held in collaboration with Dr Essa Laboratory & Diagnostic Centre, Khayaban-e-Jami Branch, DHA.
The seminar was titled ‘Winter and Diabetes’. It was said that more than 800 million adults had diabetes worldwide, and the serious health condition affected around 14 per cent of all adults worldwide.
“According to a recent study published in renowned The Lancet Journal, the percentage of adults suffering from diabetes across the world has doubled over the past three decades. The burden of diabetes and untreated diabetes is increasingly borne by low-income and middle-income countries like Pakistan,” said Prof Sheikh.
He shared a recent data that nearly a third of women in Pakistan were now diabetic, compared to less than a 10th in 1990. He said that obesity was an important factor of type 2 diabetes.
“This is especially concerning as people with diabetes tend to be younger in low-income countries and, in the absence of effective treatment, are at risk of lifelong complications,” the expert said.
Farhan Essa Abdullah, the chief executive officer of Dr Essa Laboratory and infectious diseases expert, spoke online from Saudi Arabia about the recent outbreaks of HMPV in China and India.
“HMPV is a virus in the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that will lead to a mild upper respiratory tract infection practically indistinguishable from flu. First identified in the Netherlands in 2001, the virus spreads through direct contact between people or when someone touches surfaces contaminated with it.
“An outbreak of the virus in China and India has prompted, some soft alarm but the risk of another Covid-like pandemic is low. Most HMPV infections are mild but can increase risks or lead to more serious complications like bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly among the elderly, young children and immunocompromised people,” he explained.
“The apparent increase in cases is likely partly due to new technology more easily detecting and identifying HMPV,” he said. “They make us feel terrible for a few days, but if we rest and recuperate for a few days then we get better.”
The expert explained that the challenge is at the moment was that there was not much we could do except educate people about reducing the transmission. “There’s no vaccine or anti-virals, although there are some vaccines in development,” he said.
He elaborated that HMPV is not like Covid-19 as it has been around for several decades and there is a level of immunity in the global population from past infections. Covid-19 was a new disease which had never infected humans before, driving the pandemic-level spread, he said.
“I’m certainly not suggesting we go back to the harsh restrictions, but staying home, wearing a mask if you do have to go into the community, practising good cough and sneeze etiquette, and hand hygiene are so important during this winter season.”
Chief guest Prof Faizullah S Lokhandwala, physician and chest specialist, said people with diabetes, even when well-managed, were at higher risk of developing serious flu complications.
He advised the people to get the flu vaccine stating that it was the best way to protect one’s family and oneself.
He said vaccination was particularly important for healthcare workers, pregnant women, children below five years, school-aged children (5-18 years), Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, smokers, and people aged 50 years and above.
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