The Seasonal Surge of Acute Respiratory Infections Is Not an Epidemic: Clarification

Starting from 8:00 AM, nurses are stationed at the entrances of schools and kindergartens, where they examine the children upon entry and, if they exhibit flu or other symptoms, immediately accompany them to the medical point. Due to ongoing monitoring, 723 children's access to educational institutions has been denied.

“They are conducting an epidemiological 'screening' by first examining the children from the outside and then measuring their temperature. If a child is unwell, we call the parents to take them home; they do not return to the classroom,” says Naire Julfayan, the nurse at school No. 2 named after Khachatur Abovyan.

Recently, rumors circulated at Yerevan’s School No. 8 about infections among students with swine flu (H1N1), causing panic among both children and parents. This led to several classrooms being empty or partially empty today. However, since 2010, H1N1 has been considered a seasonal flu virus for humans and no longer has the potential to trigger an epidemic.

“One of the parents called the ‘Hotline’ service, which then reached the media. This widespread information caused great panic,” says the school's principal, Natalia Stepanian.

Students report that there were few absences on Friday, but today many of their classmates did not come because their parents were concerned about getting infected from others.

“There is definitely no epidemic situation. As every year, we observe a surge in acute respiratory infections during this season. The term 'swine flu' is misleading; there are several types of flu, A and B, and H1N1 is merely a subtype that cannot create a panic situation,” notes Romella Abovyan, head of the Non-Infectious Diseases and Hospital Infection Prevention Department at the Ministry of Health of Armenia.

According to today's data, the absence rate due to acute respiratory infections in the country is 3.8%, while in Yerevan, this figure is 15.9%. Higher absence rates due to acute respiratory infections have been recorded in certain educational institutions, particularly in schools within the Central district, especially among elementary school students.

“We cannot conclude that all absentees are ill since, for example, out of 800 students, only 100 are unwell. Certainly, some parents are not consulting doctors; however, in many cases, parents avoid sending their children to school or kindergarten to prevent infection,” clarifies Anna Stepanyan, the head of the General Education Department of the Yerevan municipality.

Doctors advise vigilance regarding hygiene: wash hands frequently and ventilate rooms. Vaccination is an effective measure against the flu. It is available for free at all polyclinics. There has not been a sharp increase in visitors to polyclinics during these days; even on weekends, very few turned up.

“Only six people visited Arabkir Children’s Polyclinic, with two registered calls,” said representatives from the children’s hospital. They have patients with acute respiratory infections, almost the same as in previous years during this period. “We admit and discharge children at standard rates. I cannot say there is a sharp increase in infections,” noted pediatrician Gevorg Boyajyan from Arabkir Medical Center.

If, nevertheless, you are ill, it is important to consult a doctor at a polyclinic instead of self-medicating. It is also crucial not to send children to school or kindergarten if they have flu symptoms. The Yerevan municipality assures that the situation is manageable and that the educational process continues as normal. Specialists urge parents that if their child is healthy, they should attend educational institutions regularly.