Flu incidence in Latvia higher than peak of last five seasons

RIGA - The flu epidemic in Latvia continues, and last week the flu incidence exceeded the maximum of the last five seasons, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) informed LETA.

Influenza was clinically diagnosed in 528 patients, and the average incidence reached 795 cases per 100,000 population, 6.6 percent more than in the previous week, when 746 cases per 100,000 population were recorded.

Overall, an increase in incidence was observed in all age groups. As in other seasons, the flu incidence was higher in children under 14 years of age.

Flu cases were recorded in all ten CDC monitoring areas last week. The highest influenza intensity was recorded in Jelgava - 2,867.4 cases per 100,000 population. High incidence rates were also recorded in Jekabpils municipality, where the incidence was 1,951 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Influenza cases were also recorded in Rezekne, Gulbene and Riga.

Last week, 673 patients were tested for flu in hospital healthcare facilities. Of these, 183 or 27.2 percent were confirmed to have influenza. Influenza type A was confirmed in 181 cases and influenza type B was confirmed in two cases.

As many as 278 patients with severe acute respiratory infections were admitted in hospitals last week. The share of these patients in the total number of admissions remained at the previous week's level of 6.3 percent.

The proportion of positive tests for Covid-19 infection in hospitals increased slightly last week, with 636 patients tested, of whom 38 or 6 percent were confirmed to have Covid-19 infection.

Four deaths in patients with Covid-19 infection were recorded. Wastewater monitoring data show that virus concentrations are generally increasing in Latvia.