Diseases of war and chronic stress: Golubovska on whether outbreaks of infectious diseases await Ukraine ,
Olga Golubovska
KYIV. UkraineGate , 6 , June , 2022 | Society.
War, like other social upheavals, is accompanied by infectious diseases. And chronic stress lowers immunity. The chief infectious disease specialist of Ukraine, Honored Doctor, Professor Olga Golubovska spoke about whether Ukraine can expect outbreaks of infectious diseases .
“But there are various specific diseases in the war. The southern region is a matter of concern – we very much hope that there will be no outbreak of cholera . And these are intestinal infections зокрема (in particular hepatitis A – ed.). These are infectious diseases that are spread by rodents, hantavirus infections, such as trench fever, etc., “said the professor.
Weakened immunity, which can reduce stress and malnutrition, also plays an important role in the spread of infections in the human community.
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“War and famine go hand in hand, we are facing difficult times, food crisis, stress,… weakening the immune system, and we are becoming vulnerable to those infectious diseases that are usually very difficult to infect an immunocompetent person. And even if we get infected, we get sick easily and do not pay attention to it. And in a special environment, the pathogen feels great, in the human body there is no rebuff. Among low-immune and immunodeficient people, it is gaining aggression, what we call virulence. Then causes outbreaks. They will be with us. Everything is ahead. We have not escaped epidemics since the 1990s, starting with diphtheria, ”Golubovska said, adding that three months (since the start of the full-scale invasion) was enough time to talk about chronic stress.
Against the background of such stress, infectious diseases become more active, but the doctor pays attention to the peculiarity of microbes to compete with each other for dominance.
“For example, when there was a covid, in the first season of covid there was no flu at all. This was the weakest season of the flu during the whole observation period, ”Golubovska explains.
According to her, Ukraine should still expect an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, but given the nature of the viruses to compete with each other, the situation may be affected by other diseases.
“Currently, the incidence rate is at a minimum. But there is still growth. But if we have an outbreak of something else related to hostilities, it could also have an impact. Let’s see. The main thing is that infections are, have been and will be. That’s for sure. You should not be afraid of them. They need to be understood, “the doctor summed up.
Source: Ukrgate