Georgia swine flu: death toll rises to 13
Health officials say that cases of flu are gradually decreasing. Photo: N. Alavidze/agenda.ge.
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Thirteen people have died because of the HINI acute respiratory illness in Georgia, which is also known as swine flu, the Georgian National Disease Control Center says.
The most recent fatality took place yesterday, when a 22-year-old woman died in Tbilisi.
Doctors say that the woman suffered from a chronic illness and she was transported to hospital after six days of being infected HINI, in a “critical condition.”
Head of the National Disease Control Centre Amiran Gamkrelidze says that 254 individuals are infected per 100,000 at present, which means that there is no threat of an epidemic
At least 500 people should be infected per 100,000 for us to say that there is a flu epidemic in the country,” Gamkrelidze said.
Studies at Georgian public schools and kindergartens have been postponed until January 21 due to the spread of the flu.
Studies at Georgian public schools and kindergartens have been postponed until January 21 due to the spread of flu. Up to 640 people are being treated in the country's hospitals for the virus, 39 of them are receiving critical care. According to official data 10 have lost their lives to the swine flu.
Parents of Georgian schoolchildren have requested the winter-spring school session commence later than scheduled to the spread of the acute respiratory illness H1N1, also known as the swine flu. A total of 158 cases of H1N1 have been reported in the country this winter – the illness has claimed ten lives.
Swine flu (H1N1) has caused one more death in Georgia.
The Influenza season begins and Georgia’s health officials encourage people to better protect themselves, try to avoid crowded places and see a doctor in case their flu symptoms are severe.
Leading Georgian pharmacies have decided to decrease the price of anti-flu medicine Tamiflu, the cost of which formerly ranged between 72-99 GEL.
De facto leaderships of two Georgian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have decided to close the so-called border with the rest of Georgia to “avoid the spread of H1NI,” the flu which has claimed 15 lives in Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated that the state will cover the expenses for anti-flu medicine Tamiflu and Georgian citizens in need of the medicine will receive it free of charge, Georgian Health Minister David Sergeenko stated today.
The Georgian National Disease Control Centre has decided to reveal the statistics of flu in Georgia over the past 10 years to dispel speculations that 2018-2019 is an “exceptionally bad year” in terms of flu.