With the onset of autumn, the virus season begins, and preparing the body and good hygiene are among the key measures to limit infections. In the studio of "The Day Begins", Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev gave recommendations for immunity, children, antibiotics and flu vaccination.
With the onset of autumn, Prof. Kantardzhiev recommends paying attention to daily habits, hardening and hygiene:
"Hardening is cold water, gargling. Washing the face, neck and armpits, children should learn with cold water. And most importantly - to learn to rub the skin with these towels so that it turns red, if you want to have immunity. Rubbing the skin, the blood supply to the skin stimulates the immune system in such a way that allergic reactions are significantly reduced. It is much more difficult to get infected with respiratory infections."
Prof. Kantardzhiev also drew attention to traditional hygiene and eating habits:
"And something very important - our diet. Pickled cheese and yogurt to some extent kill the bacteria that are in the milk - harmful bacteria. This is a way of eating and hygiene and we have had several times fewer infectious diseases."
According to him, in the beginning of autumn there are enough natural sources of vitamins, and he paid special attention to red peppers:
"Right now there are still red peppers. They have a lot of vitamin C. This is something that people don't know - it is not difficult to endure. If the pepper is roasted or boiled, it no longer has vitamin C. But raw peppers – that's why you should always put one finely chopped pepper in your salad. This is proper nutrition, proper attitude towards life and hygiene."
With the beginning of the school year, the issue of the spread of infections among children remains important. According to Prof. Kantardzhiev, hygiene and behavior when symptoms appear are of primary importance:
"The most important thing is for children to wash their hands. And the second thing – handkerchiefs, which were a bit forgotten. At one time they were replaced with rolls, toilet paper in the child's bag. These are elementary things that we taught them at school. In principle, children who are sick should not be in kindergarten or school at all."
Currently, the incidence of respiratory viruses is among the lowest for the year, but it is expected to gradually increase:
"Currently, the incidence of viral respiratory infections is perhaps the lowest for the year. It will start to increase. Rhinoviruses will appear first. Rhinoviruses – you know, if there are clean hands, children are less likely to get sick with throats, noses and coughs. All of these viruses give a severe clinical picture and therefore are neither registered en masse nor tested en masse."
Prof. Kantardzhiev also commented on the use of antibiotics and warned about the risk of antibiotic resistance:
"In 2016, we were in 14th place in antibiotic consumption – total consumption per capita, and 18th in hospital consumption. Now we are arguing for first or second place with Greece, Romania and other of our neighbors. This is a very bad ranking."
According to him, the incorrect prescription of antibiotics is a serious problem. According to Prof. Kantardzhiev, the appropriate period for immunization against influenza is in early autumn. He advises people who wish to vaccinate their children to contact their personal doctor.