The epidemic threshold of the gastroenteritis virus which is 280 cases per 100,000 inhabitants has been crossed in four regions of France. It is likely that the epidemic will spread… quickly!
The Sentinelles network, a network of general practitioners who carry out permanent observations in real life, has just warned the health authorities that the epidemic threshold has been crossed in 4 regions: PACA, Pays de Loire, Hauts-de-France and Grand-Est.
More than 280 cases per 100,000 inhabitants! Barely three per thousand … It may not seem like much, but we can count differently: that makes hundreds of thousands of people in this country, who, today, will find the day less pleasant to live.
Gastro is only unpleasant for someone in good health, but it can be tragic in the very young, the elderly and the chronically ill. It also puts a lot of people in a potentially dangerous situation.
Wash your hands several times a day
Remember the few simple things you can do to prevent gastro from spreading at high speed: wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet. This gesture must also be performed several times during the preparation of meals. The same precautions should be taken when caring for infants: before and after changing babies and always before and after their meals.
No antibiotics
In the event of gastro, there is no need to take medication and especially not antibiotics if there is a fever. The culprit is a virus, and we must repeat that antibiotics do not work against viruses. A little paracetamol can be useful but above all, it is necessary to rest and adopt a simple diet. No fruits, vegetables which will worsen the symptoms; you have to eat foods that do not irritate the intestines and, above all, leave little residue. It must be said that we are generally not very hungry, but, especially in the elderly, we must not allow undernutrition to set in.
Rice is then the best food
Finally, you have to drink a lot, drink against the dehydration which is inevitable. A tip; it is true that gastro is one of the rare times when medicine recommends cola-based drinks, which will make the inconvenience a little better for the little ones. But there is a much better solution (maybe not taste-wise): drink the rice water. It also works well!
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