Flu bug hits Bulawayo

Faith Ndlovu
A wave of flu has swept through Bulawayo with young children under five being the most affected while Mpilo Central Hospital has confirmed an increase in cases of toddlers seeking treatment.
The Clinical Director for the hospital Professor Solwayo Ngwenya noted that there has been an increase in sick children with respiratory disease.
“We do not have children admitted with a specific flu bug. However, there appears that there is a slight increase in sick children with respiratory disease. It is probably a seasonal trend,” Prof Ngwenya said.
Prof Ngwenya highlighted that they had an increase in sick children from the age of four weeks to two months.
He urged the parents to be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of the flu.
“I urge parents to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of the flu. If the children are very sick with high temperatures, sneezing and coughing, seek medical attention earlier rather than later,” he said.
Prof Ngwenya said masking up at school could be helpful in reducing the spread of the flu bug.
“The children appear to be severely unwell and it is important that parents keep them at home, away from school to prevent the spread of infection to other children,” he said.
The clinical director said they are currently monitoring this trend of respiratory disease very closely to prevent more children being affected.
Pharmacists at local pharmacies in the city have confirmed a surge in demand for children’s flu medication in the past three weeks.
“We have seen an increase in parents seeking medication for their toddlers which suggests that the flu bug is indeed spreading rapidly. We have been overwhelmed with concerned parents seeking help for their sick children and unfortunately, we have temporarily run out of children’s flu medication. We are working to restock our shelves as soon as possible,” she said.
Ms Angelica Ncube a mother who has her two-year-old daughter affected by the bug said tried to manage her symptoms at home but the child kept deteriorating.
“I could not sleep that night because my daughter’s temperature was extremely high and she was constantly sneezing and coughing. The next day I rushed to one of the pharmacies only to find that they were almost out of the medication. Luckily, I managed to get some just in time,” she said.