Hospitals in Chisinau, full of patients with respiratory infections. The most affected - the children
The infectious disease departments of several hospitals in Chisinau are full. The number of patients with viruses and acute respiratory infections increases from one week to the next. In the last seven days alone, the emergency units of all municipal hospitals registered more than 3,100 calls. Every second patient was hospitalized. Most of them are children.
Ionela Lungu is 16 years old. She arrived at the Municipal Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases for Children in Chisinau five days ago. The girl says that the first symptoms of the disease were fever and headaches. Treatment at home did not give results. "Fever up to 40, the pain in the throat was generally unbearable, I mean I couldn't even swallow or eat anything. I took some pills and found that they didn't help me at all. On December 7, I went to the doctor and he already called the ambulance," says Ionela Lungu, a patient.
In order to cope with the large number of requests, the administration of the Hospital for Infectious Diseases for Children had to increase the number of beds from 100 to 130. According to the doctors, of the 126 hospitalized patients, most were diagnosed with acute respiratory infections and influenza.
"We have patients and infants as young as three months old, as well as two months old, with flu. Patients with severe and moderate forms are hospitalized. The flu develops with high fever, 39-40, with vomiting. This year we also have the syndrome affecting the respiratory tract, with cough, bronchitis, pneumonia. We have forms that also evolve with convulsive syndrome", said Diana Vlad, infectious disease specialist.
In three children's hospitals in Chisinau, additional wards were opened where patients with viral infections are treated. "Municipal hospitals, I refer to the Municipal Children's Clinical Hospital no. 1 and the wards inaugurated at the "Valentin Ignatenco" Hospital are full. We cooperated with colleagues from the Mother and Child Institute, where additional wards for people with infections were also opened. We are coping with great pressure," said Boris Gâlcă, head of department at the Chisinau City Hall.
According to the data of the General Directorate of Medical and Social Assistance, more than 90 percent of the flu vaccines distributed in medical institutions in Chisinau were administered. Even if it is no longer mandatory, as during the pandemic, specialists recommend wearing a protective mask in crowded places and sanitizing your hands as often as possible.
