Complications
The most common complication is a secondary bacterial chest infection, which develops in addition to the viral infection, is. This can become serious and develop into pneumonia, Occasionally A course of antibiotics will usually cure this, but the infection sometimes becomes life threatening, particularly in the frail and elderly. Other serious complications are uncommon.
Rarely, flu can develop into a high fever, acute bronchitis, encephalitis and pneumonia. The risks for complications and serious illness are higher among the following groups of people:
• Those aged 65 years and older,
• Babies and infants,
• People with other medical conditions (for example, long-term heart, lung or kidney Disease, diabetes, or those with a weakened immune system due to treatment or disease), and
• People living in nursing, residential or other long-stay homes where the spread of the virus is more likely.
