It has been two weeks that Armenia is in the season of acute respiratory infections, and we have an increase in morbidity caused by acute respiratory infections. Dr. Yevgenya Khachatryan, an epidemiologist at the Department of Epidemiology of Infectious and Non-infectious Diseases of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Armenia, stated this at a press conference Friday.

"The growth was registered both in [capital] Yerevan and in all provinces. We have a 1.1 times increase compared to the previous week, and we have a 1.5 times increase compared to the previous year. The cases are mostly recorded among the 0-18 year olds, approximately 70 percent, and of that 70 percent, almost 50 percent are children 0-4 years old.

“Almost 12 percent of emergency calls are calls for acute respiratory infections. As of October 26, 500 patients with acute respiratory infections have been hospitalized in the medical organizations of Armenia, almost 90 percent of whom are children aged 0-18 years," Khachatryan said, adding that the medical facilities of Armenia are overloaded, but people with acute respiratory infections continue coming.

"As a result of laboratory research, there is now no circulation of influenza. Other respiratory diseases include rhinovirus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus, parainfluenza and respiratory senticillin virus, and of course coronavirus pathogens. Children are the target because they are more susceptible to acute respiratory infections, therefore it is very important that the parents apply in time and prevent [it] so that it does not have a severe course," Khachatryan emphasized.