Viruses become aggressive, respiratory infections increase by over 40%. Durrës holds record
2025-02-13 08:55:30
TiranaPost
Viruses this winter season have become more aggressive, are causing infections, are lasting longer, and are consequently negatively affecting the deterioration of the population's health.
Data from the Institute of Public Health show that the number of respiratory infections in the first 5 weeks of 2025 was at least 40 percent higher than in the same period last year. As can be seen from the attached graph, in the fourth week of 2025, corresponding to the last week of January, the number of people reported with respiratory infections reached about 23,400 or 44 percent higher than in the same week of 2024.
Data from the Institute of Health show that viral infections marked a high increase during January and February 2025, with almost a doubling of cases. Respiratory infections mean treatment with medications. Doctors at the specialized lung clinic claim that this season the flu has been aggressive, causing mass infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Those affected have shown symptoms such as cough, constant fatigue, etc.
Chronically ill people have been more severely affected and in many cases have required antibiotic treatment and hospital treatment. This situation has created a burden on hospitals, especially in pediatric clinics. Children and the elderly have been most affected. Data from the Institute of Public Health show that the city of Durrës had the highest number of people affected by respiratory tract infections, followed by Tirana, Tropoja and Gjirokastra.
Doctors recommend that chronically ill and elderly people should avoid crowded places to avoid infections. The Institute of Public Health recommends getting a flu vaccine every year as the first and best way to protect yourself from the flu.
The flu vaccine can reduce flu-related illnesses, doctor visits, absences from work and school due to flu, and prevent hospitalizations due to flu. The vaccine is especially recommended for individuals with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and individuals over the age of 65. Also, flu medications, only with a doctor's recommendation, can make the illness milder and shorten the duration of the illness.
*This article was published by Monitor.al and reposted by Tiranapost.al
