Upper respiratory tract infection

With a surge in viral infections seen amid the ongoing cold and damp winter weather, an infectious diseases specialist has warned of a "virus potpourri," as the number of patients in emergency units with upper respiratory tract infections has doubled in recent days. 

As the weather gets colder, influenza cases have been on the rise lately in the country, with patients complaining of prolonged coughs, bronchitis and recurring infections, filling almost all outpatient clinics recently.

The destructive effect of COVID-19 has gradually disappeared, the number of daily cases has decreased, but the rules of "mask-distance-hygiene" should also be followed to protect against the recently increasing cases of seasonal flu, an expert has stated.

The number of hospital emergency room visits increased by 10 percent compared with the same period last year, even though the cases of seasonal upper respiratory tract infections were similar to previous years, according to the Ministry of Health.