Why a GP wishes people would stop saying 'it's just the flu'
A New Zealand GP is warning the public against dismissing the current influenza outbreak as 'just the flu' due to the high infectiousness of the subclade K variant. The surge in cases is placing significant strain on the country's healthcare system, including hospitals and emergency departments.
Why it matters
Public health messaging is critical during high-transmission seasons to prevent the overwhelming of medical infrastructure.
It's "just the flu" is a phrase Dr Bryan Betty hears regularly in his clinic, and one he wishes people would stop saying.
Influenza A is spreading at extraordinary rates, filling GP clinics, after-hours centres and hospital emergency departments , and while this strain may not be producing more severe illness than usual, it is the sheer volume of those being infected that is the problem.
"What's unusual about this outbreak is the infectiousness of the outbreak", says Betty, a specialist GP who has been inundated with cases.
"It's a variant of influenza called subclade K, and what we know about it is it's highly infectious, so it spreads very easily."
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