Flu is on the rise

The number of people ill with acute respiratory diseases (ARI) rose in the week preceding January 19, the Sme daily wrote on that day.

Doctors reported 54,203 cases of acute respiratory diseases and that the morbidity rate increased by 12.2 percent compared to a week ago, said the main public health officer, Ján Mikas, as quoted by the SITA newswire.

Most ARO cases were reported in Bratislava Region, while the smallest number was reported in Prešov Region. Respiratory diseases most frequently affect children under five years of age.

Complications were recorded in 1,238 cases, the most frequent of which included aerosinusitis (704), otitis media (272) and pneumonia (262).

Between January 15 and 19, doctors also reported 6,184 new cases of the flu and similar diseases, accounting for 11.4 percent of the total ARIs recorded. The morbidity rate soared to 36.3 percent. The most diseased people were reported in Nitra Region, the fewest in Košice Region. Most flu patients were aged between 15 and 19.

In seven kindergartens – two in Banská Bystrica, two in Nitra, and one in each of the cities of Žilina, Prešov and Košice – were temporarily closed due to ailments.

Also, five primary schools in Košice Region, three in Nitra Region and one in both Trenčín and Banská Bystrica cancelled school because of an increased occurrence of AROs. One day, a nursery in Košice Region suspended operation as well.