The key facts

  • Russia is recording a seasonal rise in ARVI with an increasing share of influenza
  • About 5% of cases are influenza A (H1N1), against which the population has no accumulated protection
  • Rospotrebnadzor urges people not to self-medicate and to see doctors

Seasonal rise and the share of influenza

Russia is seeing a seasonal increase in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections, with the share of influenza cases specifically growing. This was reported by head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova in a comment for the Telegram channel 'Yunashev Live'. 'We are, of course, seeing a seasonal rise in acute respiratory viral infections. The share of influenza is growing,' she noted.

Swine flu accounts for about 5% of circulating viruses

According to Popova, among the influenza types detected in Russia, about 5% belong to influenza A (H1N1) — the so-called swine flu. According to her, the population has not yet developed protection against this variant: it has not previously circulated in Russia and was not used in vaccine production in previous years. The head of the agency urged citizens, at the first signs of feeling unwell, not to self-medicate but to seek medical care and pay closer attention to their health.

Context: vaccination and previously recorded cases

Additional context is provided by earlier publications of Gazeta.Ru. Lyubov Semykina, head of the epidemiology department of the 'Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology' in Primorsky Krai, called November the optimal time for vaccination against influenza: in her view, the body has time to develop immunity by the start of the epidemic season. In addition, it was previously reported that Rospotrebnadzor had recorded cases of swine and Hong Kong flu in Russia. Thus, the head of the agency's statement about the growing share of influenza is supplemented by the indication of the specific H1N1 subtype, against which, according to Popova, the population has no accumulated immunity.