The laboratories of the Institute of Public Health registered 65 cases of influenza last week, while none of the 148 citizens tested for COVID-19 were positive.
The Public Health Institute says that last week they received 74,4 cases of flu-like illnesses per 100.000 inhabitants. They claim that flu activity is of medium intensity, with a wide geographical distribution, but that there is a trend of a slight decrease in virus activity compared to the first week of March.
The Public Health Institute reminds that they have been conducting surveillance of seasonal flu since the end of September and that from then until the end of last week they analyzed 1.747 samples.
"The infection was confirmed in 683 people (39 percent). In 379 people (55,5 percent), infection with influenza type A virus was confirmed, while in 304 people (44,5 percent) infections with influenza type B virus were registered," the Public Health Institute said.
During the same period, five deaths related to influenza virus infection were reported to the Institute - these were people aged 83, 72, 64, 63 and 36, who had concomitant diseases and had not received the vaccine.
In addition to influenza, the Public Health Institute also monitors the trend of infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as COVID-19, through surveillance at the level of health centers and hospitals.
From late September to March 16, laboratories tested 795 samples for the presence of RSV, and infection was confirmed in 131 people.
"During the same time period, 2 samples were tested for the presence of the SARS-CoV-6.392 virus, of which 192 were positive," the Public Health Institute said.
They claim that last week the proportion of positive samples tested for the presence of influenza was 42 percent, for RSV 9,2, while infection with SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, was not confirmed. This, the IJZ explains, speaks in favor of the current dominance of the influenza virus.
The Public Health Institute explains that, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), widespread activity of the influenza virus of moderate intensity was mainly registered in Europe over the past week.
"Most countries have reached the peak of the disease. RSV activity varies - in some European countries the peak of the disease has passed, while in others a stable to increased level of activity is still registered. SARS-CoV-2 activity at the primary and secondary level of healthcare in the European Region is low," the IJZ says.
They remind that influenza is a disease that in certain risk groups (such as people over 65 years of age, all chronically ill people older than six months, pregnant women, children aged six months to five years, people living in collectives such as nursing homes) is more often accompanied by the appearance of disease complications and death.
"It is important that these people are vaccinated every year. In addition to vaccination, in people at increased risk who develop flu symptoms, it is also important to use adequate antiviral drugs in a timely manner (regardless of vaccination status), such as drugs from the group of neuraminidase inhibitors. These drugs are used exclusively with a doctor's prescription after assessing the benefit-risk ratio," the Public Health Institute says.
The institution says that as of March 5, 18.215 people had received the seasonal flu vaccine, which is an increase compared to previous years.
To prevent flu, they say, it is of great importance that citizens adhere to general measures to prevent the spread of infections, such as wearing protective masks, especially indoors, regularly ventilating rooms, avoiding close contact with people who have symptoms of respiratory infection and staying in closed spaces. They remind that hands should be washed regularly and that touching eyes, nose and mouth with dirty hands should be avoided, while sick people should not go to work, kindergarten or school if they have symptoms.
At the end of December last year, when the number of patients began to increase, the Public Health Institute sent a letter to all health institutions to tighten control over the implementation of prevention measures and consider limiting visits to patients.
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