Flu season 2021: As flu cases surge, these groups face the risks of severe flu-related complications

Battling the flu is turning out to be a murkier battle during the times of COVID-19. While the previous seasons of flu and viral ailments have been relatively easy, flu remains a disease associated with high severity, and could prove to be a worrisome battle for certain risk groups. Ignorance of early symptoms, delayed testing and reporting is also what's possibly causing a higher rate of hospitalization related to the flu this year.

The flu, while less contagious than COVID-19 is still a disease which requires a lot of critical care and prevention. The complications too, can lead to events of hospitalization as well. Thus, understanding who would have a higher risk, or may be in a greater need of symptomatic care from the start, at this point of time can help manage the disease in a more efficient manner.

Also read: Is it possible to contract the flu twice in one year?

A viral illness like the flu requires timely diagnosis and symptomatic treatment from the start, since the virus can quickly spread on and attack vital organs, if not tamed early on. When a person suffers from a case of a severe flu, not only is there a heightened risk of encountering symptoms like high lingering fever, dehydration, delirium, gastrointestinal troubles, but certain problems like pneumonia, bronchitis. Further, flu complications can also be caused by the virus's replicating spread, or the immune reaction, or developing a possible secondary infection. Sinus infections, ear infections, muscle inflammation, myocarditis, respiratory failure, ARDS, or worsening of chronic health conditions can also be expected.

Having said that, here are some risk factors which may make a person more vulnerable to developing the flu and undergo severe symptoms:

Over an age, our immune response tends to get weaker and this is more profoundly felt by those who are older than 65 years of age. Global estimates actually suggest that the highest rates of hospitalization and severe disease (nearly 60-70%) exist for adults over the age of 65, who also have a higher risk of suffering from a flu complication like pneumonia.

While the biggest cause of concern is frail immunity, it should also be understood that the risk of pre-existing illness, genetic risks, or, having more than one serious comorbidity is also the highest amongst senior people, which makes them further vulnerable to mounting a deficient immune response, and suffering from severe outcomes. Thus, anytime an older adult develops flu symptoms, they must never be taken lightly and monitored with care.

Babies and toddlers, those who haven't reached five years of age are also at risk of a less than efficient immune response. While it's usually said that kids tend to have a more robust and adaptive immune response, which makes them immune to a lot of bacteria and viruses, with a disease as serious as the flu, developing or under-developed immune systems can make even a simple case of the flu worse, if the disease is not given proper care and attention. Because of the poorly developed immune system, flu vaccines are also not recommended for babies less than six months of age. They are also said to be more likely to develop flu complications like dehydration, high fever and bronchitis.

Being pregnant and catching the flu can also be a concerning risk factor. While flu vaccines are well-recommended for pregnant women, it has been seen that women who are expecting are at a much higher risk of developing flu, or getting hospitalized than other women, because of the apparent difference in the immune response. While experts are still continuing to study into the risks, and how big the danger could be, it is likely causative of the number of changes pregnancy, hormonal disruptions bring to the immune system, and a woman's health in general. More so, getting a symptom like high fever could also lead to worrying outcomes for the foetus, and hence, any flu symptoms should be managed well.

Having chronic health conditions could infer problems and additional risks on one's immune system- including how the body would react to a vaccine, and possibly mount a less-efficient or delayed response. This is because many health problems are immuno-suppressant in nature, making it not only easy for the body to catch the illness in the first place, but also make the immune response less effective. In many cases, it could also lead to delayed recovery, and additional complications.

Some of the conditions which can lower the body's immune response include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart condition, neurodegenerative conditions, lung disease, HIV-AIDS, cancer, obesity, liver failure or kidney disorder. Suffering from one or more of the diseases, coupled with increased age can also raise risks of hospitalization and mortality.