Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, after the cabinet meeting held at the Presidential Complex, addressed reporters.
Koca discussed the recent increase in respiratory infections and mentioned that the most common ones are COVID-19, influenza (flu), and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
"No need for concern"
Minister Koca, stating that the increase in cases is not unique to Turkey, said, "The situation is similar in other countries where winter months continue. There is no need for concern as the expected result due to seasonal conditions is this. However, we can say that there is an increase of nearly 20% in emergency room visits compared to the same period last year. The most common are influenza (flu), followed by RSV and Covid."
"Occupancy rate in intensive care units 72%"
Koca answered the question about whether there is a shortage of space in hospitals and mentioned an increase in occupancy in intensive care units compared to the previous year.
Stating that there is a more significant increase in intensive care units in İstanbul, Koca said, "The bed occupancy rate in hospital service beds is an average of 65%, so we don't have a problem with service beds. In intensive care beds, the occupancy rate is about 72%, so there is a slight increase compared to last year. In İstanbul, the occupancy rate in intensive care is about 83%, which means İstanbul has the highest increase. Due to this increase in İstanbul, we are trying to smoothly overcome this process by increasing the number of beds and with the intensive efforts of our healthcare professionals."
"Risk groups should get vaccinated"
Highlighting the attention to risk groups, Koca concluded by saying, "Those with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, our elders over the age of 65, and our children under the age of 2 can be significantly affected by upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore, it is important to seek emergency services without delay. If we are in the risk group, we should get vaccinated. If we are in the same environment as a person carrying the infection or showing symptoms, we should protect ourselves from the risk. If we have an infection, we should wear a mask when in the same environment as others. In addition, there are many other factors: hygiene, consuming plenty of fluids, paying attention to nutrition, and more. Even using a bit of our experience from the days of COVID can help us spend this winter in good health."
WHO: Cases increased by 42% in 50 countries
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated last week that due to New Year celebrations, the JN.1 variant has spread globally, and COVID-19 cases have increased.
Ghebreyesus mentioned that around 10,000 deaths were reported in December, and cases increased by approximately 42% in about 50 countries.
(RT/PE)
