Influenza outbreaks with a focus on closed psychiatric units: A review article

Abstract

2018 is a year to remember as we passed 100 years from the most catastrophic event in recorded history: the 1918 infl uenza pandemic. After that, we encountered three more infl uenza pandemics in 1957, 1968 and 2009. In 2018, Infl uenza season has been worse than recent previous seasons. Infl uenza activity in this year is comparable to 2009 H1N1 pandemic taking a terrible toll. Infl uenza, an acute respiratory illness caused by different strains of infl uenza A or B virus that occurs in outbreaks and epidemics worldwide. Psychiatric units represent a unique challenge for infl uenza outbreaks because they are closed units, and hygienic measures are harder to implement due to patient mental conditions. Early diagnosis and timely interventions are essential to decrease the burden of the disease. As a general recommendation, all persons older than six months without a contraindication should receive annual infl uenza vaccination, especially populations at a higher risk of medical complications.

Investigation of varicella outbreak among residents and healthcare workers in psychiatric hospital- Saudi Arabia

“…7 Many other infectious diseases outbreaks were reported in psychiatric hospitals. [8][9][10][11] Even in the era of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, an outbreak among psychiatric patients involved at least 50 inpatients with psychiatric disorders and 30 mental health professionals in a major psychiatric hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. This condition attributed to unhealthy lifestyle associated with mental illness, the suboptimal health status of hospitalized patients with major psychiatric disorders may render them more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pneumonia and its complications and also most psychiatrists do not receive adequate training in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.…”