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An influenza epidemic is expected in Bulgaria at the beginning of the year, in January and February.
The World Health Organization estimates that 1 billion people worldwide get the flu each year. Between 3 and 5 million people drive heavily, and between 290,000 and 650,000 die from complications from influenza.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, around 70,000 Europeans lose their lives to the flu each year.
By comparison, the death rate in Europe caused by COVID-19 exceeds 550,000.
According to the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, the number of people who suffered influenza and acute respiratory illnesses in the last week is 1,209.
When do we expect a flu epidemic and how to prevent infection?
Every illness is different, making it difficult to clinically distinguish between influenza and COVID-19.
“Perhaps the biggest significant difference between COVID-19 and influenza is the acute onset of influenza and the gradual worsening of symptoms in COVID-19, but like everything in medicine, nothing is 100%,” said virologist Lubomira Glomb .
The National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases expects known flu strains to circulate during the flu season – the two varieties of flu A – “swine flu” and “Hong Kong” and both flu B – “Victoria” and “Yamagata. “.
At the moment, however, there is no officially registered strain in our country.
“There is still no flu season this season. The spread of flu in the EU is still at the off-season level, that is, cases are isolated, like in the summer,” added Lubomira Glomb.
The flu is most severe in young children and people over 65.
“The best prevention has always been the vaccine,” he said.
In recent years, however, almost 3 percent of the population has been vaccinated in Bulgaria.
However, in the year of the coronary crisis, in October lines were formed for influenza vaccines in front of pharmacies.
“The amount that was imported did not reach all the pharmacies. There were not enough quantities to see all the patients.
People with chronic diseases, the elderly population should be vaccinated, as well as young children, because the flu does not spare anyone, neither the young nor the old, ”said Margarita Grozdanova, member of the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union.
Flu vaccines are available from one of the wholesalers, but due to low demand, they are widely available in pharmacies.
