Influenza epidemic is around corner in Bulgaria

Sofia, Bulgaria: The National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases informed that the past days witnessed an increase in influenza cases by 50% in multiple areas of Bulgaria. In Blagoevgrad – (a town in Southwestern Bulgaria), an “influenza pandemic” has already been apprised. 

The authorities have warned the general public, saying that the influenza pandemic is around the corner in the European country. Meanwhile, the region of Silistra is also countering a massive sharp rise in the cases of Influenza. 

Dr Mariana Ivanova – a general practitioner, in conversation with a channel, cited, “In the previous two weeks, the incidence of acute respiratory diseases has been increasing, maybe it is really the flu. For each such disease, I run tests for COVID-19, but they are negative. It is characterized by acute onset, a very high fever.”

“Patients say they go to bed and cannot get up for 24 hours. They have pain in the eyeballs and dry, irritating cough in the trachea. The condition is more acute but passes in 5-7 days, unlike the coronavirus infection”, Dr Ivanova further added.  

Speaking on the reasons for spreading the flu epidemic, the doctor stated that its begins with the children population. 

“It seems that everything begins with the children’s population, kindergartens, schools and then transmits to the parents. In the last two years, there was no flu, maybe because we were limited, we wore masks, the children were not present at school, and we were constantly protected, and two years we have not encountered this virus, we do not have accumulated immunity. The general immunity has fallen, so the flu can not come again”. 

The flu is more severe among the children and adult population. The primary and usual symptom of this flu is the increase in temperature to 38-39 degrees, as noted by the doctor. 

“These are people who have either been immunized or had the disease, and the infection is very mild. The symptoms persist for a long time, but there is no fever but a mild runny nose, laryngitis or tracheitis. It goes without antibiotics and is treated with symptomatic medicines”, the doctor added, as she was addressing the matter of slight rise in the COVID-19 mutant infections in Bulgaria.