The Ministry of Health has confirmed that some Ugandans have been battling another wave of flu, for the last four months.
Dr Allan Muruta Niyonzima, Commissioner of Integrated Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Public Health Emergencies in the Ministry of Health, says the current wave hit the country in September last year, but is almost coming to an end.
Dr Muruta advised the public to embrace the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including wearing masks and sanitizing, to minimize transmission.
According to the World Health Organisation, seasonal influenza (flu) is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. It is common in all parts of the world.
There are around a billion cases of seasonal influenza annually, including 3–5 million cases of severe illness.
Influenza spreads easily between people when they cough or sneeze and vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease.
Symptoms of influenza include acute onset of fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue.
Experts say treatment should aim to relieve symptoms and that people with the flu should rest and drink plenty of liquids. Additionally, health experts say most people will recover on their own within a week.
