BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - BY the end of the Carnival Season people in St. Kitts and Nevis will engage themselves in a traditional game of “name that flu”. And the expectation is that it would be named after the song that wins the Road March Title or the song which Carnival patrons deem to be the most popular.
The sting of the flu has - over the years - been felt by many and, according to health officials, during the months of January and September, increases in the incidences of the flu have been recorded.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Martin said this is the “flu season” in the United States of America and because of travel between that country and the Caribbean the flu virus spreads.
“It is wet, chilly and people are moving around, so it is to be expected that people would get the flu. That is normal.”
Runny noses, head-spinning sneezes, sore throats, terrible coughs, headaches, fever, chills and body aches are some of the symptoms which individuals suffering with the flu may experience.
Whether it is the ‘Wuk It’, ‘De Hardware’, the ‘Round Up’, ‘Who Sen Dem’ or ‘Un Gallo’, the flu is expected to be named. And Dr. Martin gave a reminder of how people could either increase their chances of not contracting the flu virus or how to recover quickly in the event that it is contracted.
1. Stay away from people who are coughing and sneezing;
2. Eat well;
3. Get plenty of rest;
4. Get exercise;
5. If a flu vaccine is available, get it; and
6. If you have the flu, cover your sneeze and your cough
The CMO indicated that these are essential because “if you get the flu and you are a healthy person, you should recover within three to five days”.
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