Respiratory infections are still at a high rate. Since autumn and winter, many people have developed symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and headache, and the pathogens of infection are also different.
Zhongxin Health noticed that recently, some patients shared their confusion on social platforms: My symptoms are so obvious, why are they all negative for influenza A, influenza B, mycoplasma, new crown, etc.? These pathogens have similar clinical manifestations in the early stages of infection, so how can we distinguish and administer them?
To this end, Zhongxin Health interviewed Li Tongzeng, chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Beijing You'an Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, and Zhao Wei, director of the Biosafety Research Center of the School of Public Health of Southern Medical University.
Depending on a variety of factors such as the time of the test, the self-test antigen is recommended to repeat the test.
The high fever of 40 does not go away, and the flow A and B and mycoplasma are all yin" "I have done two tests and are negative, but I still feel uncomfortable and have a fever every day"...On social platforms, many patients have shared similar experiences.
On social media, some patients are sharing similar experiences.
Zhao Wei told Zhongxin Health that there are three possibilities for this situation. First of all, it may be a false negative of the experimental results, and the current pathogen nucleic acid detection or antigen detection methods have a certain proportion of false negative results, but this possibility is small; In addition, it may be that the sampling time is too late or the pathogen is not "caught" at the time of sampling, and many patients do not go to the hospital until a few days after the onset of the disease, resulting in the number of pathogens in the body by this time has decreased or been eliminated.
Because there are many types of pathogens that can cause flu-like symptoms, it is possible to be infected by other types of pathogens other than influenza A virus, influenza B virus, mycoplasma, and new coronavirus. Zhao Wei said.
Li Tong has pointed out that this situation is very common. The blood count of mycoplasma and viral infection is normal, and antigen negativity cannot be ruled out. In addition, the self-test of patients is generally an antigen test, which has a low accuracy rate and is prone to false negatives, and the detection rate is generally higher at 1 to 2 days after the onset of the disease, but it is still far lower than the accuracy rate of nucleic acid testing.
If you self-test the antigen at home, you need to repeat the test 3 to 5 times after half a day to improve the accuracy. Li Tong once said.
A symptomatic regimen may be used.
Consult your doctor before taking prescription medications.
Another question that patients are concerned about is how to distinguish between various respiratory tract infections when testing for all-negative infections. How**? According to the experts interviewed, there is no need to rely too much on etiological examination, and the symptoms can be treated first**.
Li Tong once pointed out that influenza, mycoplasma and new crown are self-limiting diseases for the general population with normal immune function, and some drugs to relieve symptoms are even not used at all, and they can generally be self-contained in about 5 days. If the etiology is not detected, antipyretic and analgesic drugs and cough and expectorant drugs can be used first**.
Zhao Wei also said that patients can decide whether to continue testing according to their personal wishes, and can also use symptomatic solutions, such as taking antipyretics to relieve symptoms. Most respiratory illnesses caused by viral infections** are treated in a similar way, and doctors will also target them empirically until the causative agent is identified**.
However, Li Tong has reminded that for vulnerable groups, mainly the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and people with underlying diseases and low immunity, they should try to figure it out**.
There are also some patients who have symptoms such as fever and cough, and will choose to buy azithromycin, oseltamivir and other drugs on their own. The interviewed experts believe that conventional fever-reducing and cough medicines are OK, but if it is a prescription drug such as oseltamivir, it is recommended to take it under the guidance of a doctor.
If you have a history of exposure to influenza, such as a family member or a colleague who has been diagnosed and has symptoms and has high suspicion of infection, you can use oseltamivir in advance**, but oseltamivir is a prescription drug, and you still need to consult your doctor in advance whether it is suitable for you. Li Tong once said.