A key health expert in India has warned against rising influenza cases caused by the H3N2 virus across the country.
"Currently we are seeing an increase in the number of cases of influenza, which is basically presenting fever, sore throat cough, body aches and runny nose history...," Dr. Randeep Guleria, former director of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, told a news agency.
It "is a type of influenza-virus, which we see every year during this time of the year. But it is a virus with changes over time, it mutates over time; what we call an antigenic drift," he added.
Explaining further, he said the H3N2 virus comes from a family of influenza viruses which mutates depending upon its various subtypes. The virus, he said, mutates or changes slightly every year, in what is known as "antigenic drift," he explained.
In the past week, the number of new influenza cases reported increased 63 percent. As the flu spreads like COVID, he said that people should wear masks in crowded places, wash their hands frequently and practice physical distancing.
Not just Guleria, but many doctors have warned about the rapid spread of the virus as the country prepares to celebrate the festival of color Holi, prompting big gatherings across the country.