The flu invaded Plovdiv even before the Christmas holidays.

The first confirmed case of the current season was registered at the beginning of the week.

It was discovered in a patient during an examination in an outpatient facility.

The man was infected with influenza "A", he was prescribed medication and treated, the Regional Health Inspectorate reported. 

"In view of the season, we are registering an increase in the number of acute respiratory diseases. This is due to the fact that people do not comply with the imposed restrictive measures that were in place during the COVID pandemic, such as wearing protective masks and keeping a distance," said Mr. Tanya Uchordzhieva from RZI. 

Doctor: Masks can save us from the flu.

Wear them, now it's scary!

"The first 24 hours are the most important to get the disease under control. If the patient has a fever, cough, chills, muscle and joint pain, vomiting and headache, it is best to call his personal doctor immediately and start treatment at home so as not to spread the infection," Dr. Kostadin Sotirov, chairman of the Association of General Practitioners in the Plovdiv region, told "Maritsa".

During the treatment, large amounts of warm drinks should be taken - tea, milk, even compote, the doctor recommends and adds that it is still not too late to get anti-influenza vaccines.

In the last week, in the age group from 0 to 4 years, the incidence of acute infections was 588 per 10,000, from 5 to 14 years it was 334 per 10,000, from 15 to 29 years - 148 per 10,000, from 31 to 64 it was 39 per 10,000 and over 65 is 41 per 10,000. The average is 115 per 10,000.

Medics have urged citizens to observe the safety marks, as in the COVID pandemic, to protect themselves from acute respiratory diseases. 

A serious flu wave is expected to last until spring.

Bacterial infections are also on the rise, said Prof. Iva Hristova, director of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases.

The flu wave in Europe started in November, and in our country - from the beginning of December.

Leading flus are type "A" and the so-called

"swine flu".

Both strains are expected and included in the vaccine.

The flu will certainly be even more serious in January.

Maybe until April we will have serious morbidity, she also predicted. 

Due to the lack of flu in previous years due to anti-epidemic measures and the lack of underlying immunity, this year's flu will be serious.

Together with them, the cases of Covid-19 are increasing in Western Europe, and we can expect it here in a month.

The new sub-variants of omicron are more contagious and spread more easily, but we are no longer unprepared, we have immunity and we will not observe severe waves like before, comments Prof. Iva Hristova.

Plovdiv