Influenza Spreading in Hungary: Some Hospitals Closed

After Szeged in the southeast and Nagykanizsa in the southwest, a visiting ban has been imposed in the hospitals of Békés county due to the spread of the flu epidemic. Currently, Békés County is the fastest spreading county in Hungary.

Due to the rise in influenza-like illnesses, a ban was first imposed on inpatient wards at the Szent-Györgyi Albert Clinical Center of the University of Szeged, followed a few days later by a partial ban at the Dorottya Hospital in Kanizsa, Nagykanizsa.

At the same time, in Békés county health institutions, the influenza epidemic measure does not apply to those who can prove that they have already been vaccinated against influenza.

The Békés county ban is in force from Monday until it is lifted and affects the Gyula and Békéscsaba branches of the Békés County Central Hospital and the Dr. László Elek Hospital and Outpatient Clinic in Orosháza, including all inpatient wards.

The flu is currently spreading fastest in Békés county in the country. In the third week of the year, 185,400 people in the region went to the doctor with symptoms of acute respiratory infections, of whom 23,800 were diagnosed with influenza-like illness.

Of the latter, 35 percent were children and 31.1 percent were aged 15-34. 23.1 percent of patients were in the 35-59 age group and 10.8 percent were aged 60 and over.

According to the weekly report of the National Public Health Center (NNK) published on Thursday, Győr-Moson-Sopron County had the highest number of flu patients after Békés County.