An ‘untreatable’ disease is said to be rising and spreading quickly, leaving a horrific trail of sick patients in its wake, a health expert has warned.
Jefferson Health’s medical director of infection prevention and control, Eric Sachinwalla, is warning of a spike in a condition known as adenovirus, which is similar in a lot of ways to the flu or Covid. However, he warns, unlike those conditions we are more familiar with, there is less that we can do to actually treat adenovirus. So if you are unfortunate enough to pick it up, then you may have to just tough it out. Fortunately, in most cases, adenovirus is fairly mild, though as with Covid or flu, if you’re immunocompromised, then symptoms could become more serious. However, there is one aspect of it that makes it a more significant problem than similar conditions. This is that adenovirus is tougher than flu or Covid, which can be stopped with things like soap and water and disinfectant. Sachinwalla told PhillyMad: “It’s pretty contagious because it’s heartier than other viruses – soap and water, or everyday disinfectant, won’t kill it, so it tends to live in the environment longer.”
Adenovirus can have several symptoms, including shortness of breath, a runny nose, and a sore throat. Other symptoms might include diarrhoea or pinkeye, but this is highly varied, as there are over 60 strains.
For the most part, Sachinwalla says that you can manage adenovirus with rest. However, people who would be more vulnerable, such as the elderly, pregnant, or immunocompromised, may want to keep a closer eye on their symptoms.
He added that if someone’s condition is worsening, then you should call ahead to check the symptoms. This is because the condition is spread through close contact, and the medic would be able to assess whether the risk to the patient was greater than the risk of that contact.
Sachinwalla advised that a big thing to watch for is temperature. If the fever raises the body temperature to 40C, then he advises that this is more serious.
Typically, symptoms should begin to improve after approximately two days. However, if it persists for longer than three days without relief, this is also a red flag.
The medic explained that a surge in flu cases in the southern hemisphere earlier in the year may have led to a rise in cases in the northern hemisphere now. He added that there is also the factor of fewer people going for a flu jab.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
