24. Mar 2022
In week 11 (14-20 March), a total of 6,945 people got in touch with a doctor due to upper respiratory viral infections. This is a 7% reduction on the figures for week 10. Twenty percent of this week’s cases involved children.
A total of 206 cases of influenza A viruses and two cases of influenza B viruses were confirmed in the laboratory this week, which is 40% up on the figures for week 10.
According to the Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre, one patient needed hospitalisation last week due to the flu virus. Since the beginning of the season, 137 patients have been hospitalised for influenza.
Three people over the age of 70 and with serious co-morbidities have died this season from flu-related complications. None of them had received flue vaccinations to offer them additional protection.
A total of 6,071 cases of influenza have been confirmed in the laboratory since the beginning of the season. According to the Health Board, the influenza A (H3) subtype is circulating in Estonia.
Morbidity in Europe
Within the European region, the incidence of influenza is on a downward trend. According to the Influenza Surveillance Network, it is the influenza A (H3) viruses which are mainly circulating in the European region.