The doctor warned about the hidden risks of common acute respiratory viral infections

Acute respiratory viral infections are often perceived as a mild illness accompanied by a runny nose, cough, and fever. However, in practice, any respiratory infection, both viral and bacterial, can lead to serious complications. Lyubov Stankevich, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Director of Laboratory Medicine and Production at the LabQuest medical company, told Izvestia on February 6.

In the current season, according to her, patients who have had influenza A (H3N2) have often experienced middle ear inflammation and hearing loss. Similar complaints have been received from different regions of the country, and these are not isolated cases. The expert explains that this is not a unique feature of a particular strain, but a manifestation of a general pattern: with improper treatment, ignoring a severe pathogen or prolonged course of the disease, the risk of complications increases regardless of whether the infection is caused by a virus or a bacterium.

"Complications can develop in different directions. One of the ways is the spread of infection from the nasopharynx to the lower respiratory tract, which leads to pneumonia. For a long time, it was considered primarily a bacterial disease, but the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that viral pneumonia is no less common and can also cause severe lung damage," Stankevich said.

Another path, which doctors consider more dangerous, is associated with the movement of the infection "upward" to the meninges. Such complications can be both viral and bacterial in nature. In children, a significant part of neuroinfections is associated with viruses, including enteroviruses, which often begin as a common acute respiratory viral infection, and then lead to encephalitis and other severe lesions of the nervous system.

Among bacterial pathogens, meningococcus, hemophilic bacillus, pneumococcus and listeria are particularly dangerous — it is against them that vaccines have been developed, since they most often cause meningitis. However, the initial symptoms may be standard for a cold: runny nose, sore throat, and fever. At this stage, only laboratory diagnostics helps to recognize the threat.

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The expert noted that, for example, hemophilic bacillus often causes not only inflammation of the meninges, but also otitis media. The anatomical connection of the nasopharynx with the structures of the middle ear facilitates the spread of infection, so the inflammatory process can spread there, as well as affect the paranasal sinuses. Hearing loss in such cases is often temporary and is associated with edema, however, with the development of purulent complications, permanent hearing impairment is possible.

According to Stankevich, it is impossible to predict in advance how SARS will end for a particular person. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the causative agent of the disease. Some microorganisms are known to have a high risk of severe complications. Thus, pneumococcus can lead to pneumonia or meningitis, and mycoplasma and chlamydia often cause lung damage, starting with the usual symptoms of a cold. In children, enterovirus infections also require special attention due to the risk of damage to the central nervous system.

In addition to local complications, systemic ones are also possible, when viruses or bacteria enter the bloodstream and spread through the body. This is especially dangerous for bacterial infections, as it can lead to sepsis. Even short-term circulation of microorganisms in the bloodstream can cause damage to distant organs.

The expert emphasizes that under certain conditions, any pathogen can lead to severe and even life—threatening consequences, from otitis media and pneumonia to meningitis and systemic lesions. Therefore, in case of respiratory infections, it is important to establish the cause of the disease as early as possible and choose the right treatment strategy. For this, according to Stankevich, accurate laboratory diagnostics are needed, including multiplex PCR tests that can simultaneously detect dozens of viral and bacterial pathogens.

On February 3, the press service of the Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) in the capital reported that there was a slight increase in the incidence of influenza and acute respiratory viral infections in Moscow. The ministry clarified that the proportion of influenza viruses in the overall incidence continues to decrease. Currently, rhinoviruses predominate among infections.

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