Experienced medical practitioner Dr Warren Blake is urging Jamaican athletes and individuals to be vigilant in the face of a respiratory flu virus that has been spreading across the country.

A number of the country’s top athletes, including reigning Olympic 110m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment and Commonwealth Games 200m gold medallist Rasheed Dwyer, have come down with a flu virus which has caused them to miss training for a period of time.

Dr Blake, former president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, said he has seen a massive spike in the spread of the virus in recent months.

“They need to practise hand washing and do the same kind of things like when COVID-19 was around. Social distancing, don’t get too close to people who are obviously sick and have the flu,” Dr Blake told the Jamaica Observer.

“This flu is a respiratory virus that is affecting quite a lot of people in recent months. We have had quite an increase in the admission at the hospitals even though it seems to be at the tail end now, but a week or two ago especially around the time of the Carifta Games in The Bahamas, it seemed [to have been] more prevalent,” he said.

Dr Blake said athletes should look to boost their immune system by boosting vitamin C intake and keep hydrating themselves throughout the course of the day.

“It will impact on their respiratory functions and their ability to train and keep fit. You have general measures that they can use to strengthen their immune system like high vitamin C levels and that sort of thing. They need to drink orange juice which is also vitamin C and keep hydrated,” Dr Blake said.

Dywer, who won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, clocked a season’s best 20.68 seconds to win the men’s 200m at the Velocity Fest at the National Stadium last Saturday.

However, he stated that he wanted to run a much faster race, but his training has been hampered this season because of the flu and a number of injury niggles.

“I think that I could have run faster if I wasn’t battling certain stuff like the flu and these niggling injuries.

“However, mentally and physically I am feeling fit at the moment so I just need to go back to the drawing board and get some work in because I haven’t trained for a while due to the flu,” Dwyer said.

Gregory Little, coach of the Titans Track Club, said his athletes are well aware of the flu virus and have been encouraged to protect themselves.

“Our athletes are aware of this and so they know that they have to rest and take their vitamins and drink a lot of water. I understand this flu is very terrible and it will take you out for at least two to three weeks and so I have been encouraging everyone here to be careful,” he said.