Flu and respiratory infections on the rise in Latvia
Latvia's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) has recorded a slight rise in flu and acute respiratory infection activity. The highest incidence is among children up to four years old.
Latvia saw a slight increase in influenza and other acute respiratory infections last week, according to flu monitoring data from the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC), the national public health authority. Illness rose in all age groups, with the youngest children affected most.
Influenza
Flu was clinically diagnosed in six patients. Average incidence was 7.9 cases per 100,000 residents, which is 23.4% higher than the previous week's 6.4 cases. Flu was found in one child up to four years old, two children aged five to 14, and three patients aged 15 to 64.
At the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory of Riga East Clinical University Hospital, 250 clinical samples were tested for influenza viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Influenza A was confirmed in 11 samples, or 4.4%, and RSV in one sample, or 0.4%.
Other acute respiratory infections
A total of 997 patients saw doctors with symptoms of other acute respiratory infections. Average incidence was 1,308.2 cases per 100,000 residents, 13% more than the week before and above the level seen at this point in the previous season. Among children up to four years old the figure was 6,948.5 cases per 100,000 people of that age, and 3,157.5 for those aged five to 14. In the 46 family doctor practices participating in the monitoring, such patients made up 21% of all people attending outpatient facilities.
Pneumonia and hospitalisation
Twenty patients sought outpatient care for pneumonia, an average of 26.2 cases per 100,000 residents. That is double the previous week but 1.8 times lower than at the same time last season. Pneumonia incidence was again highest among children up to four years old, at 98.3 cases per 100,000.
At the ten inpatient facilities included in the monitoring, the share of patients hospitalised with severe acute respiratory infection rose from 2.9% to 3.2%. Among those tested, flu was confirmed in 0.4% and RSV in 2%.
Covid-19
The share of laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 samples fell from 4.4% to 2.5%. One death of a Covid-19 patient was recorded last week, and two Covid-19 patients have died in total this season. SPKC notes that Covid-19 incidence was rising at this time last season.
