INFLUENZA CASES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 210, 21 September 1937, Page 7

INFLUENZA CASES

Changeable Weather Bring* Colds RECOVERY OFTEN SLOW Influenza in various forms, for ths most part not particularly severe, is prevalent in Hastings and Napier at present. The ineidence has been rather high all through the winter, possibly because the cool summer had affected the vitality of many people and lowered their resistanee to the cold weqther which followed. Medical men noted a considerable increase in cases about three weeks ago, and this new level seems to have been sustained in spite of generally warmer weather and spells of sunshine and clear skies extending over several .days at a time. Although some doctors who were questioned to-day said that they had found no special characteristics in the outbreak, others said that they had had a proportion of unusually .severe cases of a non-pneumonie type. Generally their pationts seemed to recover more slowly than in the normal course, and sometimes a week passed before the toinperature settled down. Reports that ear troubles and temporary deafness were common afteroffects of the complaint were confirmed by some medical men, although others lia'd noticed nothing unusual in this respect. It was explain.ed that where rocovery was rather prolonged, inflammation in the nose and throat was apt to extcnd, causing a degree of deafness for a time and sometimes complications. The proportion of pneumonic cases is stated to be not abovo tbe average for this time of the year, but a good deal of bronchial trouble is involved. A number of cases are of the gastrie type. Chemists and confeetioners report heavy saies of the various cough cures and sweets designed to remedy the common cold. Large business establishments have been put to much inconvenience during the past few weeks by shortages of staff, employees being absent from work through illness. It is generally considered that the outbreak, together with the prevalent colds, will subside when spring begins to merge into summer, provided that the weather is reasonably good and people are able to take advantage of the warm sunshine tin-i open frir.