Seasonal flu cases in UAE surge 30% as temperatures dip

Teachers, workers and health experts report pupils absent from school, work colleagues taking time off and doctors’ surgeries in the Emirates crowded with people suffering from influenza-like symptoms.

ABU DHABI // Plummeting temperatures have led to a 30 per cent surge in seasonal flu cases.

Teachers, workers and health experts have reported pupils absent from school, work colleagues taking time off and doctors’ surgeries crowded with people suffering from influenza-like symptoms.

With the cold and windy weather set to continue across the region, doctors have urged for vigilance to help halt the spread of the winter virus.

“There has been a heavy rise in the number of flu cases,” said Dr Mohammed Idrees, a GP at Al Tadawi Medical Centre in Dubai. “About a 30 per cent rise in what it was about a month ago.

“The colder weather and a lot of people coming back after travelling over the new year – bringing back bugs – have contributed to the problem.”

High-risk groups – young children, those over 65 and pregnant women – should protect themselves by being vaccinated, having a good night’s sleep, taking flu remedies such as honey, and drinking plenty of fluids, he said.

Dr Idrees recommended that anyone who had flu should rest at home and avoid workplaces.

“Cough etiquette – covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze – and regular hand washing are important hygiene tools to minimise the risk of spreading infections.”

Dr Riyada Edward Oweis, a specialist in family medicine at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said that half of those visiting her clinic – about 15 a day – were suffering from the flu.

She said those with a weaker immune system should protect themselves by getting a vaccine shot early in winter. This would protect them for up to 12 months, she said.

For those who had already caught the bug, Dr Oweis recommended a Vitamin C-rich diet, plenty of fluids and paracetamol.

Dr Fawad Khan, a consultant in family medicine at Al Noor Hospital in Abu Dhabi, also said that about half of his patients were suffering from flu-like symptoms.

“We see more cases of flu and influenza during the winter months because the heat – which is a natural protector against the flu and kills most viruses – has gone away. Secondly, the air is dryer and this thins the lining of the nose and mouth making you more prone to illnesses.”

Dr Khan, a British-expatriate, said that more than half of his patients were those suffering from flu-like symptoms.

Schools were also feeling the effect of the winter virus.

Dr UK Kataky, of the Gems Modern Academy in Dubai, said there were two to three children absent in kindergarten every day.

“I usually send out news letters to the parents advising them on how to protect their children. Parents should keep their children warm,” he said.

People living in the UAE said they were sometimes unprepared for the cooler weather and many did not expect the change in temperatures to be so substantial.

An Egyptian expatriate, Eman Samir, has been living here for three years.

She believed that people were fooled into thinking that because they lived in a hot climate they would not get the flu. “I usually get sick around two or three times a year,” said Ms Samir, 27, who lives in Dubai.

“Right now, for example, I feel a little under the weather and am developing flu-type symptoms. There is always at least one person [out of 15] who calls in sick every two days.”

A Lebanese expatriate, Marc Bakhos, 25, said it was his first winter here and he was unprepared.

“I was shocked when December and January rolled round. I almost immediately experienced flu-type symptoms. I just think I wasn’t prepared for it and didn’t have the right clothes.”

The weather bureau said one of the lowest temperatures recorded in recent weeks in the UAE was 2.1°C on Jabal Jis, a mountain about 15 kilometres north of Ras Al Khaimah.

It said the weather would remain cloudy and windy in some parts of the country in the coming days but temperatures were set to rise from the weekend.