Radio România Internațional

Tag: respiratory infections

  • Outpatient centres for respiratory infections

    Outpatient centres for respiratory infections

     

    Romania has declared a state of epidemiological alert due to the large number of respiratory infections. In recent weeks, cases of flu, viral infections and pneumonia have multiplied and exceed the average number reported in previous seasons. Hospitals have introduced restrictions on visitors, and healthcare authorities urge people to observe hygiene rules, avoid crowded places and keep people with flu symptoms away from the community. The health ministry says daily observational triage should be organised in schools, and children with symptoms should be sent back home.

     

    The health minister Alexandru Rafila explained that the flu has seasonal evolution in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively. “Of course it is a greater effort, there are longer waiting times, but this happens absolutely everywhere, we cannot help but face problems in Romania as well. We are doing everything in our power and in the hands of local public healthcare authorities to be able to manage this situation in a favourable way,” Alexandru Rafila said.

     

    As the number of cases is growing from one week to the next, and hospital emergency rooms are overcrowded, more than 300 outpatient centres for flu and respiratory infection cases have been opened throughout the country. The health ministry has made public a list of the units available for Romanians with such problems.

     

    The measure is designed to reduce the pressure on hospital emergency rooms, after the number of virus cases doubled last week alone. More precisely, over 170,000 cases of respiratory infections were reported last week, and 15 people died from the flu, bringing the total number of casualties since the beginning of the season to 35.

     

    The health minister Alexandru Rafila says that every year during the flu season the situation is complicated both for adults and children, but this is the largest number of cases reported in recent years. He also added that patients with symptoms should first of all contact their family physicians, and that they should only go to the permanent centres or the outpatient units if their health worsens or worrying symptoms appear. Mr. Rafila said he was not in favour of closing schools, but emphasised that kids with respiratory infections should be kept at home. In his opinion, he added, the best solution is to keep teaching activities running. (AMP)

  • February 3, 2024 UPDATE

    February 3, 2024 UPDATE

    AGREEMENT The PM
    of Romania Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of farmers and carriers
    Friday reached an agreement ending the recent protests. On Monday, the PM’s
    office will set up an inter-ministry committee tasked with identifying the best
    solutions for the protesters’ demands. Farmers and carriers in Romania
    protested for 3 weeks against high business costs, low prices for produce, the
    import of cheap foodstuffs from Ukraine and the constraints introduced by the
    EU as part of its climate change action.


    COMMEMORATION A
    ceremony commemorating the prominent politician Iuliu Maniu, a former prime
    minister of Romania and leader of the National Christian-Democratic Party, was
    held on Saturday at the Memorial for the victims of communism in Sighetu
    Marmaţiei (north-west). Maniu died on the night of February 4 1953, in the political
    prison in Sighet, where he was serving a life sentence for high treason
    pronounced by the communist regime. His name was cleared under a Supreme Court
    ruling in 1998, and a monument was erected in his honour in the Revolution
    Square in Bucharest.


    MOLDOVA Chişinău
    extended an entry ban against the leader of the Romanian nationalist party AUR,
    George Simion, by another 5 years. Under Moldova’s legislation, foreigners may
    be declared undesirables if they have or if there are strong reasons to believe
    they intend to conduct activities likely to endanger the country’s national
    security or public order. According to the R. of Moldova, the Romanian
    authorities have been notified in this respect, and George Simion challenged
    the decision in court. The AUR leader was expelled from Moldova in 2018, with
    an entry ban in place for a period of 5 years.


    HEALTHCARE Trade
    unions in the healthcare sector have new talks scheduled next week with the
    Romanian authorities in the context of the recent protests. The vice-president
    of the Ambulanţa Trade Union Federation, Magyary Arpad, had a meeting on
    Friday with the healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, but failed to reach an
    agreement on salaries, equipment and the personnel shortage in the system.
    Arpad voiced optimism with respect to a 20% pay raise deal, but said he was not
    sure the measure would cover all healthcare personnel and whether it would be
    implemented in full or in several instalments. He said the talks also concerned
    the procurement of ambulance vehicles, office revamping and changes in the
    legislation. Trade unions in healthcare initiated nation-wide protests in
    November 2022, but suspended them until after next week’s meeting with PM
    Marcel Ciolacu. Talks will also be held in the coming days with the Sanitas trade
    union federation, which has its own salary demands for several categories of
    healthcare personnel.


    ALERT
    Healthcare units in Romania are implementing additional measures after a state
    of epidemiological alert was declared due to the growing number of respiratory
    infections and flu cases. Special attention is given to the health of hospital
    personnel and to the protection equipment, and visiting hours have been reduced.
    Visitor access is denied in ICUs, neonatology and pediatrics departments,
    coronary care units, oncology and hematology units, and in infectious disease
    units. In other hospital departments, no more than 2 visitors will be allowed
    at the same time in a room, and individual protection equipment will be
    compulsory.


    MIDDLE EAST The
    US conducted scores of air raids against targets operated by Iran-controlled
    groups in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said the raids were a response to the
    recent drone attack by Iran-supported fighters, which killed 3 US troops at a
    military base in Jordan, the BBC reports. Taking part in Friday’s raids were B1
    long-range bombers, flying out of the US. Iran condemned the strikes, claiming
    they violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq, AFP reports. In Bagdad, a
    government spokesman announced the US strikes in western Iraq killed at least
    16 people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the US state secretary Antony
    Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank
    between February 4 and 8, primarily to reach a deal securing the freeing of all
    the Israeli hostages kept in Gaza following the Hamas terror attack of October
    7. (AMP)

  • Epidemiological alert in Romania

    Epidemiological alert in Romania

    For the third consecutive week, the incidence of respiratory infections reported in Romania exceeded the average level calculated for the last seasons, and the authorities decided to release an epidemiological alert. The National Public Health Institute reported over 130 thousand cases of respiratory infections, in just one week, and more than 9 thousand cases of clinical flu. The number of diagnosed respiratory infection cases refers to the week of January 22 – 28, and the finding is that, compared to the same period of last winter, the number of patients is 35 percent higher. The increase compared to the previous week is 8 percent. As for the flu cases, the number of patients increased, weekly, by almost 2 thousand and is much higher compared to the same period of last year.



    However, the situation is better in terms of severe acute respiratory infections, which are now fewer as compared to the previous week and also as compared to last year. The number of deaths caused by the influenza virus has reached 50, the Public Health Institute informed. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, does not rule out a scenario according to which the cases of illness might reach the maximum level recorded last year. He said that Romania would not face an epidemic because, as their observations show, the maintenance of this upward trend is limited and until the end of February the number of cases ​​will probably be lower, said the health minister. He pointed out that the epidemiological alerts do not imply restrictions, but only prepare the medical system for a worse situation.



    Alexandru Rafila: This is the third consecutive week of growth above the average level recorded in the last 5 years. It is called epidemic week. Weve had two such weeks so far. This is the third one. There is absolutely nothing different from last year’s situation, no restrictions are being imposed; it is related to preparing the health system for a greater number of respiratory infections so that we can provide all the necessary resources to the health units.



    Apart from the measures recommended in medical units, there are recommendations for schools. Those in charge of educational institutions must provide the necessary sanitary materials and inform parents about the symptoms and the importance of keeping children at home if they have signs of respiratory infections. For the population, in general, the already known recommendations remain valid: avoiding crowds, observing hygiene rules, isolation at home in case of illness, use of protective masks, if necessary, and, last but not least, flu vaccination especially in the case of vulnerable categories. (LS)

  • January 10, 2024 UPDATE

    January 10, 2024 UPDATE

    SNOW MEETING – Romania’s Foreign
    Minister Luminița Odobescu will attend the two-day informal Snow Meeting hosted
    by Trakai, Lithuania, focusing on external policy and security topics. Held on Thursday
    and Friday, the event will bring together EU and NATO Foreign Ministers as well
    as high-ranking officials and academia from Europe and the USA. The meeting
    will address security hot topics such as the strategic consequences of the war
    in Ukraine, the future security framework in Europe, celebrating 20 years since
    the NATO enlargement of 2004, the July NATO Summit in Washington and prospects
    of cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region.




    MEMORANDUM – Romanian Defense
    Minister Angel Tîlvăr and his counterparts from Bulgaria and Turkey are
    expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a joint task
    force charged with demining operations in the Black Sea – MCM Black Sea, the
    Defense Ministry reports. MCM Black Sea is an initiative of the three Black Sea
    riparian allies designed to facilitate safe navigation by means of combating
    the threat posed by sea mines. The operational structure of MCM Black Sea,
    which will change command on a six-month rotation basis and will consist of two
    planned activations for every rotation, will ensure the maximum level of vigilance
    and training and contribute to strengthening the Allied posture of deterrence
    and defense of the Eastern flank. NATO’s littoral partners, as well as NATO’s
    Standing Naval Groups and non-littoral Allies, will be able to participate in
    MCM Black Sea activities to develop cooperation in support of Black Sea
    security and improve interoperability.




    FLAG CEREMONY – The head of the
    Chief of Naval Forces Staff, vice-admiral Mihai Panait, on Wednesday attended
    the Romanian flag-raising ceremony hosted by Oeiras, Portugal. The ceremony was
    hosted by the NATO Striking and Support Forces Command (STRIKFORNATO). In a
    year marking two decades since Romania joined NATO, Romania became the 15th
    member of the most powerful NATO naval force. The NATO Striking and Support Forces
    Command focuses on high-precision strikes, carrier battle groups, expedition
    units and strike groups made up of cruisers, destroyers and frigates.




    INFECTIONS – The number of
    respiratory infections is on the rise in Romania. Over 2,500 new cases of
    COVID-19 and some 26 related deaths were reported in the first week, the
    National Public Health Institute has announced. 40% of these cases were
    reported in Bucharest and in Cluj, Bihor, Brașov and Constanța counties. At the
    same time the number of flu cases has also gone up, with wards treating
    infectious diseases operating at full capacity. At least nine people died to
    the flu virus since the start of the flu season. The head of the Association of
    Family Physicians from Bucharest and Ilfov County, Dr. Sandra Alexiu, says
    people should contact their family physician as soon as cold or flu symptoms
    appear and avoid self-medication. A good personal hygiene and hand-washing are
    also recommended, while traveling to crowded areas should be avoided. Doctors
    also recommend vaccination to combat the virus.




    DISCOVEREU – Some 2,000
    18-year-olds from Romania will be awarded a one-year free travel pass, in
    addition to other benefits such as accommodation and participation in various
    events, allowing them to explore the diversity of Europe as part of the
    initiative DiscoverEU – Discover the European Union. This year, of the
    150,000 young people enrolled, 36,000 were selected following a quiz in
    October. The 18-year-olds will travel by train over March 2024 – May 2025, to
    find out more about the history and cultural heritage of Europe and to meet
    people across the European continent. Over 11,600 young Romanians have so far
    benefited from this initiative. (VP)







  • Winter and viral infectious diseases

    Winter and viral infectious diseases

    So far winter has been mild in Romania. It did snow across the territory and strong wind was frequently reported, but with the exception of mountain roads situated at an altitude of over 2,000 meters, which normally shut down during the winter season, road traffic has been more or less as usual. Winter in Romania therefore stands within normal parameters, unlike the heavy snowfalls that have affected central Europe.



    The number of acute respiratory diseases reported by the population is also within levels, despite spiking slightly from one week to the next, the National Centre for the Surveillance and Control of Transmissible Diseases has announced. The total number of acute respiratory diseases, such as influenza, common cold or pneumonia, was 9% higher at national level as compared to the same period of last year. Right now there is no question of a flu epidemic, but rather a wider circulation of viral diseases, Health Minister Sorina Pintea has announced.



    While the number of cold-related deaths is small, below 10, one of the reasons for concern is the fact that some of the people who died to the flu were young people without a history of medical problems, but who hadn’t taken the flu vaccine shots. For this reason, the Health Ministry has again urged the population to take influenza vaccines, recalling this is the safest and most effective way to prevent people from getting sick.



    This statement follows a surge in anti-vaccine chatter on social media, which the authorities say is manipulating the population by circulating false information on the purported negative effects of vaccines, irrespective of their type. This year the Health Ministry has procured 1.3 million shots of anti-flu vaccine as part of its winter vaccination campaign. Until January 6, over 1.2 million Romanians from the population at risk had benefited from this campaign. The Ministry has pointed out that with the reopening of schools on Monday, the number of people getting sick could increase.