BREAKING Surge in acute respiratory infections: More than 140,000 cases recorded last week, a record for December in the last ten years / INSP: The average for the last 5 pre-pandemic seasons was 64,000 cases

More than 140,000 cases of acute respiratory infections were recorded last week, a record for December in at least ten years, according to data from the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), consulted by G4Media.ro.

INSP also notes, for the previous week, that the average number of cases in the same period for the previous 5 seasons before the COVID pandemic (years 2015-2019) was 64,049 acute respiratory infections. Thus, the number recorded now represents an increase of 119.7%.

Acute respiratory infections include cases of clinical influenza (cases with obvious flu symptoms noted by a doctor but not confirmed by laboratory tests), acute upper respiratory infections (ARI) and pneumonia.

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According to the INSP methodology, an epidemic week is considered to be a week in which influenza activity is above the epidemic threshold, i.e. above specialists’ estimates. An influenza epidemic is declared when three weeks in a row have passed which are epidemic weeks.

Usually, the peak of the flu season is in February.

In the last ten years, there have been more cases in the weeks of 27 January – 2 February 2020 alone with over 171,000 acute respiratory infections, 3 – 9 February 2020 with over 165,000 cases, 10 – 16 February 2020 with over 159,000 cases, 17 – 23 February 2020 with over 156,000 cases, 24 February – 1 March 2020 with over 141,000 cases, 28 January – 3 February 2019 with over 145,000 cases, 19 – 25 February 2018 and 26 February – 4 March 2018 with over 141,000 cases in each interval.

National Institute of Public Health data for the week of 19 – 25 December 2022 (S51/2022):

Nationally, the total number of cases of acute respiratory infections (clinical influenza, HCAI and pneumonia) was 140,688, compared to 101,059 cases in the previous week and 38,322 cases in S51/2021. The variation in addition to the calculated average of 64,049 cases of 5 pre-pandemic seasons (2015-2019) was 119.7%.

There were 2,685 cases of clinical influenza reported nationally compared to 1,644 cases reported in the previous week and 79 cases reported in S 51/2021.

Influenza activity evolved with high intensity, with a local spread in Brasov, Buzău, Cluj, Prahova, Sibiu, Timiș, Ilfov and mun. Bucharest and sporadic cases in some counties.

Sixteen cases of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) were reported, 8 fewer than the previous week and 15 more than the same period last season.

No confirmed deaths from the influenza virus were reported.

In the week 19.12.2022 – 25.12.2022, 94 confirmed influenza cases were reported (18 with AH3 virus, 28 with AH1 virus, 46 with unclassified influenza A virus and 2 with influenza B virus).

By 25 December 2022, 1,417,836 people in at-risk groups have been vaccinated against influenza with a vaccine distributed by the Ministry of Health.

Please note that the Ministry of Health has purchased 1.5 million vaccines for the current flu season, based on consumption from the previous season (2021 – 2022), which overlapped with the COVID vaccination.

Translated article