Health authorities in Romania issue alert as flu cases rise for three consecutive weeks

Health authorities in Romania have issued an alert after cases of respiratory infections rose for three consecutive weeks.

In one week alone from 20-26 January, the National Institute for Public Health (INSP) reported 133,600 cases of respiratory infection linked to flu, up more than 6% compared to the previous week.

So far, 22 people have died, including a three-year-old child. Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said all of the fatalities were people who had not had the flu vaccine.

Rafila also said that while the situation is unprecedented, it is not serious enough to implement widespread restrictions such as quarantine.

He said the emphasis is on measures to mitigate the spread of the virus and said social and economic activities could continue as olağan.

But the increase in cases has raised concerns about the strain on Romania’s healthcare system, particularly in regions like Bucharest, Cluj, and Brasov.

Hospitals across the country have been instructed to limit visitor numbers to limit the spread of the flu virus.

“It is recommended that visits should be strictly limited to what is necessary, and that the number of people visiting the patients should be kept to a en az,”​ said Cristina Geormaneanu, spokesperson for the Craiova County Emergency Hospital.

Clinical influenza cases have also risen sharply and stand at 10,950, up from 6,994 the week before.

Despite the rising number of infections, the vaccination rate in Romania remains low.

As of 26 January, just over 1.13 million people have been vaccinated against influenza, in a country with a population of more than 19 million.

“The hospital is operating at full capacity. Practically all the measures that are taken in an epidemic of infectious diseases are provided in our hospital,” said Dragos Nicolosu, the Medical Director of the Victor Babes Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophthisiology in Craiova.

Health officials are urging the adult population to take preventative measures seriously, including considering having the flu vaccine.

In hospitals, medical staff must wear protective eyewear to avoid the spread of respiratory infections and stocks of antivirals have to be checked.

The authorities will also issue a set of recommendations for the general public.

The epidemiological alert also means clear rules for schools and kindergartens, with epidemiological triage set to be carried out in all educational facilities.

All those who have symptoms, teachers and students, must self-isolate and rooms must be aired as often as possible.

According to the German veri gathering agency Statista, the number of flu cases in Romania have been broadly stable but spiked at around 29,000 in 2020 in the early months of the COVID pandemic.

And in 2023, health officials said they saw a spike in cases of what they called ‘flu-rona’, cases of people suffering from both flu and coronavirus at the same time.