Flu season in full swing in Romania
The seasonal flu and that caused by the new coronavirus originating in China are a reason for concern for the Romanian authorities.
Roxana Vasile, 28.01.2020, 13:50
Romania is not facing an outbreak of
seasonal flu at the moment, but only an intensification in the circulation of
the virus in some parts of the country. The number of cases is lower than last
year, but experts do not rule out the possibility that this number may rise over
the coming weeks given that vaccine coverage only amounts to a third of that recommended
by the World Health Organisation.
The manager of the Matei Bals
Institute for Infectious Diseases, dr. Adrian Streinu Cercel says that almost
1,600 persons came to the hospital he works at last weekend, with more than 600
being diagnosed with the flu. He again called on the population to realise the
importance of vaccination.
People are worried about the flu,
but they only do so during the flu season. I would advise them to get worried
in March or April and start thinking that around October they should get the
vaccine.
Doctors warn that apart from
anti-flu vaccination, personal hygiene also plays an important role in
preventing disease. They also recommend avoiding contact with sick people and
staying away from crowded areas. Visitor access has already been restricted at
several hospitals in Romania and classes have been suspended for a few days in
a few kindergartens and schools. The Bucharest transport authority says it
plans to distribute face masks free of charge to passengers to prevent the
appearance of hotbeds of infectious diseases. More care will also be given to
disinfect the vehicles used in public transport.
As if seasonal flu wasn’t causing
enough alarm among the population and the authorities, Romania, like other
states around the world, is now forced to take prevention measures about the
new coronavirus originating in China. The health minister Victor Costache tells
us more about the measures envisaged by an inter-ministerial committee for
monitoring and managing potential infections with the new coronavirus:
We have a first centre capable of
testing and identifying the coronavirus at Matei Bals, with regional centres
about to be set up within a week at the most in Iasi, Cluj, Timisoara, Targu
Mures and Bucharest. The transport ministry has already created, since
Saturday, a special access corridor for everyone coming from China. A data base
was also created for all these passengers to know their exact whereabouts in
Romania.
According to the manager of the
Matei Bals Institute for Infectious Diseases Adrian Streinu Cercel, the risk of
a coronavirus case to reach Romania is low. Nevertheless, prevention is better
than cure, as the old saying goes.
