Flu-Like Illnesses: 38,000 Hungarian Patients Last Week

Last week, 38,000 people were diagnosed with flu-like illnesses, according to reports from doctors participating in the surveillance service, the National Center for Public Health (NCHR) said in its weekly report on Thursday.

According to the report, in the fifth week of the year, 244,000 people went to the doctor with symptoms of acute respiratory infections, 38,000 of whom were diagnosed with influenza-like illness.

Of the latter, 44.3% of patients were children and 28.6% were aged 15-34. 18.7% of patients were in the 35-59 age group and 8.4% were over 60.

The data show that between January 30 and February 5, all administrative regions except Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county saw an increase in the number of people visiting a doctor with flu symptoms compared to the previous week. The highest number of patients was recorded in Békés, Hajdú-Bihar and Győr-Moson-Sopron counties, and the lowest in Vas, Zala and Bács-Kiskun counties.

It was also reported that 242 patients had submitted respiratory samples to the NNK laboratory in week 5. Of the 147 respiratory specimens sent in, 46 showed some type of influenza, 21 showed coronavirus and 17 showed respiratory giant cell virus (RSV).

Accumulation of influenza-like illnesses was reported in four locations; two social institutions in Fejér county, one nursery in Somogy county and one kindergarten in Tolna county were affected by mass cases. Last week, 249 people were hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infections, 52 of whom required intensive care. Of the 249 patients requiring hospital care, 47.8% were aged two years or less and 25.7% were aged 60 years or more. Of the patients requiring hospitalization, 59 were hospitalized for RSV, 31 for coronavirus and 24 for influenza virus. Of the RSV-positive patients, 79.7% were aged two years or younger, and 74.2% of those infected with COVID-19 were aged 60 years or older, the release said.