Early recognition of signs and proper treatment

Increased number of children hospitalized

In Vietnam, on average, over 800,000 people get the flu every year, and the number of cases often increases during the changing seasons. Hanoi alone has recently recorded many cases of influenza A, with a sudden increase in the number of children with influenza A and respiratory diseases, of which up to 80% require special care.

Doctors at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases examine a child with influenza A. Photo: BVCC

The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases is currently treating nearly 50 patients with influenza A, most of whom are children; the number of outpatient visits has increased dramatically in the past few weeks. Among them, a 16-month-old patient, TTH (Hanoi), was diagnosed with influenza A, with bronchopneumonia and secondary infection, and was fortunately treated promptly. Doctor Nguyen Dinh Dung warned that most children with influenza A have high fever, runny nose, increasing cough, and fussiness. Older children and adults often have more obvious symptoms of body aches and pains, aching bones and joints. In addition, children may have convulsions due to high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the disease progresses severely, children may become lethargic, less responsive, breathe quickly, or have chest retraction, which is a warning sign of complications.

At the Pediatric Center, Bach Mai Hospital, in just the past few weeks, respiratory diseases have been accounting for a high percentage of children coming to the clinic. About 3% of the cases require hospitalization, many children need special care. For example, a 2-month-old patient in Dong Anh commune was hospitalized for treatment of influenza A with complications of pneumonia, had to be taken to the emergency room, and given oxygen. This is also the common condition of children with influenza A being treated.

“Currently, the rate of children coming to the emergency room has increased dramatically, leading to a serious overload in medical examination and treatment. The main cause is the increase in respiratory diseases, mainly children infected with influenza A and RSV virus. The strong spread of these two diseases has caused the number of children to increase significantly,” said Le Sy Hung, Deputy Director of the Pediatric Center, Bach Mai Hospital.

Similarly, at the National Children's Hospital, the number of seasonal flu cases, especially influenza A, also tends to increase. Many children are hospitalized due to complications of pneumonia, otitis media, and convulsions due to fever. Since the beginning of October, the hospital has recorded more than 3,700 cases of seasonal flu, of which nearly 500 children had to be hospitalized. Last week alone, there were more than 1,600 cases positive for flu, of which more than 10% of children were hospitalized. "Only in cases with severe risk, pneumonia, respiratory failure complications, doctors prescribe hospitalization for inpatient treatment. Thus, the actual number of children with influenza A coming for examination is much higher" - Deputy Director of the Center for Tropical Diseases, National Children's Hospital Do Thien Hai said.

Many countermeasures

At Saint Paul General Hospital, 9 out of 10 children who come to the clinic with a fever are infected with the flu virus. Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhan, Head of the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Infection, said that the number of children with flu and other respiratory viruses is on the rise. However, most cases can be treated effectively if detected early. In recent weeks, about 90% of children coming to the department have viral diseases, of which 60-70% have to be hospitalized for monitoring and treatment, mainly due to high fever, cough, respiratory infections or digestive disorders.

Over the past month, Gia Lam General Hospital has recorded a clear increase in the number of seasonal flu cases, especially in young children, the elderly and pregnant women. On average, the unit's Outpatient Department receives 30-40 patients with suspected flu symptoms every day. Meanwhile, Hanoi Children's Hospital recorded 280 pediatric patients coming for examination in the first week of November 2025, of which 65 were hospitalized.

Influenza A is spreading rapidly in the school environment, causing parents to worry. In recent weeks, many educational institutions have recorded dozens of cases of absences each day due to influenza A. Many schools have a rate of students absent due to influenza accounting for 20-30% of the total number of students; some classes have had to temporarily suspend activities for several days to disinfect and monitor students' health. Some schools have proactively arranged temporary isolation rooms, assigned medical staff to measure body temperature at the beginning of each class, and asked parents not to send their children to class if they have symptoms of fever, cough, or fatigue. Schools have also stepped up flu prevention propaganda, reminding students to wash their hands, wear masks during class, and limit sharing personal items. Many educational institutions have also coordinated with health stations to organize disinfection spraying of campuses, cleaning of desks, chairs, school supplies, and cafeterias. Some schools have implemented the model of "Safe school during flu season", linking disease prevention propaganda with the first class of the week, extracurricular activities, and school health corners.

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Gia Lam General Hospital has implemented a series of measures to control infection. The screening area has been strengthened, clearly separating flu patients and other disease groups to limit cross-infection. Infection control measures have been tightened. Medical staff always wear masks, wash their hands regularly, disinfect surfaces periodically and ensure that examination rooms are well-ventilated. Departments are required to coordinate closely in receiving, isolating and treating flu patients separately to avoid spreading within the hospital.

Faced with the rapid increase in influenza A cases, especially among young children, Hanoi has been implementing many measures to prepare and respond. The health system has strengthened screening, diagnosis and timely treatment to avoid serious complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory failure) for patients. According to the Hanoi Department of Health, medical units across the city are strengthening epidemiological surveillance in the community, especially residential areas and schools. The grassroots health system is required to prepare medical supplies, arrange isolation treatment areas, and promote seasonal flu vaccination for students, teachers and people.

According to medical experts, influenza A has similar symptoms to common flu, however, if not detected and treated promptly, the disease can lead to dangerous complications. Therefore, early recognition of unusual signs, taking children to the doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment is very important. Treatment of influenza A for children needs to be careful, especially the use of Tamiflu. In addition, parents need to pay attention to vaccinating their children against influenza fully and on schedule to help reduce the risk of infection and serious complications by 70-90%.

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Current seasonal flu vaccines are safe and highly effective. Hanoi health authorities recommend that parents get their children vaccinated early, especially children aged 6 months to under 5 years and people with chronic diseases, to prevent serious complications.

Dr. Dao Huu Than - Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Prevention, Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/nhan-biet-som-dau-hieu-dieu-tri-dung-cach.906601.html