Dumpis stressed that Covid-19 “has not disappeared”.
With Covid-19 cases together with influenza, the hospital situation is very difficult. Dumpis said: “It's been very difficult in hospitals for about a month. The last two weeks are particularly difficult because there is an epidemic of influenza and Covid patients, about the same proportion. The biggest problem is that many patients become infected in hospitals.”
The infectologist noted that the problem is that many people, especially in risk groups, have not been vaccinated.
“Many people have not been vaccinated against influenza and have not received a dose of Covid vaccine this autumn. This is particularly the case for seniors. […] Unfortunately, Latvia is not fulfilling this task, we have vaccinated only 9% of seniors against Covid-19 [in the autumn],” noted the infectologist.
On the further spread of influenza, Dumpis forecast that it should start to decrease in mid-January, but flu patients will still appear in the spring.
“It is still worth getting vaccinated. Flu patients will be topical until April, May. [..] Respiratory syncitial virus goes down, that's good news. But so far, the situation is severe. Indeed, children suffer far more than usual,” Dumpis noted.
