Respiratory viruses are back

The number of cases of influenza is on the rise in Romania and some schools have already suspended classes

Daniela Budu, 22.01.2020, 14:00

The National Public Health Institute has announced that the flu season in Romania has started, given that 25% of the cases tested proved to be caused by flu viruses. Until recently, the intensity was low, and cases were reported locally, in Arges, Brasov, Cluj and Bucharest. These days however, the number of flu cases among children seems to be on the rise, and the list of education institutions that have suspended activity is growing. In Bucharest, several schools and kindergartens have decided to close their doors for a few days.

However, we cannot talk about a flu epidemic yet, said on Radio Romania Alexandru Rafila, the President of the Romanian Microbiology Society:

“Its not an influenza epidemic by any means. We are merely talking about local intensification of the circulation of the flu virus, mainly in Bucharest and Brasov. In fact, the Disease Control Center has stressed this thing. As for the other areas, its a relatively low circulation of the flu virus; actually of the flu viruses, because this year both type A and type B viruses seem to be circulating at the same time. The local public health authorities have decided to take some local measures, in particular in Bucharest, in order to contain the spread, so classes have been canceled for a while in some schools.”

At national level, some 200 cases of flu have been confirmed this winter, and several people have died from it. In the coming period, doctors expect an intensification and public health specialists talk about the measures that need to be taken in order to contain the spread of the disease, in keeping with the recommendations made by the World Health Organization.

Here is Alexandru Rafila again:

“Its hard to come up with an additional plan now. We will talk about it, of course, if need be, but the best solution is for the public health authorities to stay alert and take measures there where a large number of cases are reported in a short period of time, in order to curb the spread of the disease. Otherwise, educating the population and individual protective measures are essential to protect ourselves from the flu, if we have not got the flu shot yet.”

Some 1.4 million people have been vaccinated against the flu, and the vaccines have been provided by the Health Ministry. We recall that last year, 2,200 people got the flu, and some 200 died because of the complications caused by the virus.