Over 36,000 Kyrgyz citizens catch acute viruses in a week

Kyrgyzstan has officially registered more than 36,000 cases of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza during the week of November 24–30, said Dinara Otorbaeva, head of the Epidemiology Directorate of the Department of Disease Prevention, State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance.

According to Otorbaeva, the number of cases more than doubled compared to the previous week, with over 70% of the patients being children under 14, Caliber.Az reports, citing Kyrgyz media. 

She noted that around 25 kindergartens in Bishkek and about 30 in the Chuy region have been closed for quarantine. In Osh, five schools have fully switched to online learning, while six schools have moved certain classes to remote instruction. In Batken, some classes in several schools have also transitioned to online learning.

Health specialists report that the predominant viruses circulating in the country include influenza A/H3N2 (Hong Kong flu), influenza B, COVID-19, as well as rhinovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and other respiratory pathogens.

By Khagan Isayev