Children should only be taken to the emergency room if they have certain symptoms, such as dehydration, a headache, or muscle or lip bruises, says Mihai Craiu, a pediatrician at the Alessandrescu-Rusescu National Institute of Maternal and Child Health. in the capital. , which indicates an increase in the number of cases of influenza among children.

In an interview with PRO TV News, the doctor said that even before the pandemic, there was always an increase in viral infections after the holidays.

• “What’s different from previous years, when we practiced hand hygiene, everyone wore masks and avoided sick people, is that now people are tired of avoiding and, as a result, the number of viral diseases.
• What is different from what happened two weeks ago is the increase in the number of flu patients. In one of the previous guards, in the emergency department, out of more than 140 flu tests, 80 were positive,” said Dr. Mihai Kraiu.

Three symptoms that should alert parents

He warned that children should be treated only after correct diagnosis and tests and explained that it is very important to hydrate children.

• “It is important to buy medicines if we need them and if they are prescribed by a doctor. Fears and prudent purchases are another characteristic of Romanians, who now take the chance of a sick patient to find the right medicine.
• (…) I believe that hydration is absolutely necessary and sufficient for three-quarters of children with common viruses. Only babies who can’t blow their nose and can’t expectorate are at high risk,” Kraiu said.

He advised parents, if their child has symptoms of a viral infection, to contact the family doctor first and indicated three symptoms for which parents should take their child to the emergency room:

• “Kids who have three important things (symptoms) should come to the emergency room: dehydration, meaning they’re excreting more fluid than they’re taking in, desaturation — meaning they have bruises on their lips, tongue, face — and those who feel very bad, that’s why severe headache, pain in muscles, bones.
• In Shvidka, they do a test that gives the result after five minutes, if antiviral treatment is needed.”

How many cases of influenza were registered in Romania in the last week

According to data released Thursday by the National Institute of Public Health, during the week of December 26, 2022, to January 1, 2023, there were 74,567 cases of respiratory infections (clinical influenza, AKIRS and pneumonia).

Despite underreporting this week due to the winter break, the swing above the calculated average of 48,489 cases for the same weeks of the 5 pre-pandemic seasons (2015-2019) was 53.8%, the third consecutive week that exceeded historical figures, according to INSP.

Taking into account the sequence of 3 epidemic weeks, which consisted of high intensity of flu activity, we can talk about the epidemiological danger, reports INSP.

There were 4,961 cases of clinical influenza in the country, compared to 2,685 cases reported in the previous week, which is much higher than the calculated average of 315 cases in the same weeks of the 5 pre-pandemic seasons (2015-2019).

Cases of clinical influenza were registered in 34 districts, the most in the municipality of Bucharest (2,624) and in the districts of Brasov (441), Cluj (243) and Prahova (236).

Compared to the pre-pandemic season of 2019-2020, the current season has seen an increase in the number of clinical cases 5 weeks earlier.

In Romania, the number of cases of respiratory infections is increasing for a third week, but it will not be declared a flu epidemic because that would mean the introduction of new restrictions, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila announced on Thursday, who said a “state of epidemic preparedness” would be introduced. “We cannot take measures that will once again block economic and social activity in Romania,” Rafila said.

This situation is due to the fact that during the pandemic, a law was passed, according to which the declaration of an epidemic by the Minister of Health by his order also entails restrictive measures, such as isolation and even quarantine.