4 min readJan 17, 2024 02:19 PM IST
First published on: Jan 17, 2024 at 02:19 PM IST
Sheena Sharma had just about recovered from the H1N1 flu and the moment her fever broke, she pushed herself to work on Day 4 as she had to meet a deadline for a project she was working on. A few hours into it, she crumbled in a heap, with a sharp headache. A few hours later, she had breathing difficulty again. The next day she had to be hospitalised with pneumonia-like symptoms.
“We are so used to taking drugs that many people do not realise that adequate rest is as much therapy as medication is. If you push yourself too soon after any viral infection, there could be a worsening of symptoms with those with still weakened or compromised lungs lapsing into pneumonia,” says Dr Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi. He also busts the myth of a relapse. “The body develops immunity against the virus you have suffered from. But due to a lack of rest, the virus leaves a lot of inflammation in the body which may result in a fresh bout of fever, cough and nasal congestion. We call it post-viral inflammation,” Dr Modi adds.
Does H1N1 flu, also called the swine flu, impact the lungs more severely?
Although University of Wisconsin researchers recently showed that the virus was able to penetrate the lungs to a deeper level and caused greater respiratory damage than other forms of flu, and could be more likely to cause pneumonia, they did an animal study with much larger doses of the virus. We need more research on human patients to come to such a drastic conclusion.
What are the chances of a patient developing pneumonia if he or she is not resting properly?
In most cases, symptoms may last for three to five days, with cough lasting for a slightly longer time. There are two possibilities for pneumonia to develop. First, the virus can cause pneumonia on both sides of the lungs, which we call typical viral pneumonia. There is a sudden fall in oxygen saturation and the patient has to be admitted to hospital for stabilisation.
Second, the virus lowers your immunity guard down to such an extent that a secondary bacterial infection can easily superimpose itself on a weakened lung, triggering pneumonia. Relapse of the H1N1 virus is unusual. That’s why rest is needed, to not create conditions for secondary infection to prey on your body.
How much rest and sleep would you recommend to recover from the flu?
Adequate rest, hydration, nutrition and seven to eight hours of sleep are required every day for a recovery. Before resuming your regular hours at the office, make sure that you are up and about in your home environment. If moving around and doing light activities don’t stress you out, you can venture out.
Can there be chances of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalopathy (ME)?
Just like Covid, H1N1 influenza, too, has the same side effects. Mental efficacy is also reduced and this may last for a few days to a few weeks as well. Many patients say they are taking longer to recover but we must realise that like Covid, all other flu viruses are mutating and the body is taking time to adapt to them.
For how many days can one be contagious?
Data suggests after five days, you cannot spread the virus but you can take precaution for seven days to be on the safe side.
How risky can it be going to a crowded environment like the office or metro?
I would suggest social distancing and wearing a mask so that you do not pick up other viruses as a concoction of them is floating around in the air.
What is the treatment for H1N1?
Oseltamivir is an antiviral which has been there for quite a long time and taken in early phases, has halted the severity of infection. Along with this, adequate diet and sleep are helpful.
Can I exercise post a H1N1 flu episode?
Once you have recovered fully and your body does not exhaust easily, you can start with lighter exercises.
Swine Flu ward at Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi (Express File Photo By Praveen Khanna) 
Share
