Preventive measures to reduce flu viruses
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, December 15
Georgia’s Health Ministry is taking preventive measures throughout the country, in order to reduce the seasonal spread of flu viruses.
Health Minister Davit Sergeenko stated that the Ministry would activate the same protocol as used during a period of three weeks at the beginning of January.
The Minister underlined that the increased number of flu cases should not be considered as an epidemic, and added that such illnesses commonly increase each spring and autumn.
Sergeenko also announced that due to increased calls to the emergency 112, the Ministry would create special family centers, which would work a 24/7 regime and serve members of the population who have flu symptoms.
He also added that at kindergartens and schools, a special protocol would be activated; which meant that those educational institutions in which the absence of children is more than 40 percent will be closed for three days.
Head of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Paata Imnadze says there is no ground for panic. He recommends people to stay at home and follow the prescription of doctor if they catch a flu virus.
Imnadze also recommends people get a vaccination at the clinics, to prevent spread of the virus.
The Education Ministry says that at present only 20 percent of children are absent from the educational institutions, which is not alarming.
“If the number of absent children increases, we will follow the recommendations of the Health Ministry,” Nata Asatiani, Head of the Education Ministry Press Service, said.
Doctors say the flu virus becomes dangerous if people do not go to doctors and instead undergo self-treatment. They say that the flu decease commonly lasts for 7-10 days, however it may turn into respiratory problems in case of negligence.
