Influenza, or simply flu, is a disease caused by a viral infection that attacks the respiratory system (nose, throat and lungs). There are three types of infections: influenza virus A, B, and C. The symptoms of this disease are fever, headache, sore throat, cough, and lethargy. People believe that they can catch the flu if they come into contact with a virus source, such as droplets from a sick person’s coughs or sneezes, or contaminated surfaces. However, recent research shows that a person can spread the flu virus to others even just by breathing.
A study conducted by the University of Maryland proves that the flu virus can be spread by infected persons simply by breathing. Flu-infected people generate infectious aerosol (tiny droplets that stay suspended in the air for a long period of time) even though they do not cough or sneeze, especially during the first few days of illness.
The researchers analyzed 23 aerosol samples collected from flu-infected people’s normal breath in the absence of coughing. Eleven samples—nearly half—had detectable traces of viral RNA, eight of them contained infectious virus. These results suggested that normal breathing was a considerable contributor to infectious aerosol generation. In addition to that, the researchers also performed analysis on aerosol produced while sneezing. The observation noted that the sneezes were not associated with the greater presence of viral RNA and this suggested that sneezing was not a significant factor in the transmission of influenza virus.
Based on the research, we can conclude that people getting infected with the flu virus must be more careful in doing activities outside the house. The use of masks and regular hand washing may reduce the transmission of the virus. However, resting at home is more recommended as it will hinder the spread of the virus as well as speed up the healing process.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Google Search Image
Source(s):
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Yang, J., Grantham, M., Pantelic, J. et al (2017). Infectious virus in exhales breath of symptomatic seasonal influenza cases from a collage community. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United Satets of America doi: 10.1073/pnas.1716561115.
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NSW Goverment - A guide to influenza (flu), including information on symptoms and how immunisation can prevent the disease. http://www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/publicationsandresources/pdf/publication-pdfs/diseases-and-conditions/7205/doh-7205-ind.pdf (25 January 2018)