In Ukraine, deaths are currently recorded more often due to COVID-19 than influenza, although the number of confirmed diagnoses is beginning to outpace the coronavirus. This was announced by the chairman of the National Technical Group of Experts on Immunoprophylaxis of the Ministry of Health Fedir Lapiy during a telethon, a correspondent of UNN reports.
Deaths are now being reported more frequently due to COVID-19, although influenza is beginning to outpace COVID-19 in terms of the number of isolated viruses or confirmed diagnoses
According to him, Ukraine is returning to the so-called pre-pandemic period.
"We have missed two flu seasons due to rather strict quarantine restrictions related to COVID-19. Now we are catching up, returning to the season we would have had before the COVID-19 pandemic. And not only we, but also the countries of the European community. If you look at the data from the European community and Ukraine, there are many similarities. Now the incidence of influenza is growing," said Lapiy.
He also commented on the increase in the incidence of influenza and ARVI, mainly in the western regions, where schools are being switched to distance learning.
When asked what is the reason for the upward trend in the West and whether we should expect the disease in other regions, Lapiy replied: "Indeed, it can be expected in other regions, as it was before. If we talk about the western regions again, as it was before COVID-19, we had a major increase in the incidence of influenza in the western regions. Now there is an additional factor that children are mostly evacuated to the western regions of Ukraine, where there is a larger number of children.
According to him, there is a higher probability that schools are working offline, which facilitates the transmission of the flu virus, unlike in the eastern regions, where many children have left these areas and schools and kindergartens cannot operate there as they do in safer regions.
"That's why the increase in the incidence is mainly in the western regions of Ukraine. Plus, migration, people go to the EU and return to Ukraine through the western region," Lapiy added.
AddendumAddendum
On February 5, the Ministry of Health reported that in 5 regions of Ukraine, the epidemic threshold was slightly exceeded due to an increase in the incidence of ARVI, influenza, and COVID-19.