Common flu and upper respiratory tract infection cases, related to the change in weather conditions, will continue to be on the rise until mid-March, said doctors in Dubai.

Dr Uzma Mehraj, GP at Aster Speciality Clinic International City, said: "We have had a very high number of cases suffering from common flu and other upper respiratory tract diseases, reporting at Aster hospitals this winter." Given that UAE residents are always travelling or on-the-move, they tend to bring in allergy, bacterial, and viral cases from around the globe into the UAE.

"In December and January especially, people's movement was constant. Furthermore, weather conditions were extremely foggy and windy in the morning and evening and the daytime was really warm. These situations are very conducive to bacterial and viral infections," added Dr Uzma. She informed that reports of viral cases among children were also on the rise.

Most patients came in with symptoms such as fever, severe body pain, headache, congestion, blocked noses, and other common flu-related issues. "There were more severely infected cases as well, this season," she added.

Given that kids and school-going children are more vulnerable, Dr Uzma recommends proper exposure and hydration and rest, and good air circulation. "People should also stay indoors when it is too stormy and windy," she stated.

Top 5 ways to keep kids flu-proof

1- Don't send sick children to school

2-Hydration is very important - drink warm fluids and perform saline gargles

3-Ventilate rooms and expose yourself to fresh air

4-Get plenty of rest and isolate yourself if infected

5-Cover your mouth while coughing

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