An eight-year-old boy from Lviv contracted the flu twice within three weeks and faced complications.

Flu and ARVI are increasingly sending more people to bed, including hospitalizations, in Lviv. Over the past week, the number of requests for medical assistance to the First Medical Association of Lviv has surged by one-third. The majority of the sick are children, accounting for 60% of the total complications from seasonal illnesses, reported the medical association.

Eight-year-old Matviy from Lviv has contracted two strains of the flu and suffered complications—an ear infection—within three weeks. The boy was first hospitalized in early February after a vacation in the Carpathians. He had a high fever that couldn't be reduced at home. The child's parents sought help from specialists at St. Nicholas Hospital. A test confirmed that Matviy had type B flu. This was already the fifth day of his illness, so antiviral therapy was no longer effective, and they had to treat the consequences of the flu instead. Matviy developed otitis (inflammation) of the left ear.

A week after being discharged from the hospital, the boy's temperature rose again. Tests showed that he had the flu once more, but this time it was strain A. Matviy was hospitalized and antiviral therapy was immediately prescribed. The boy is now feeling well. He has recovered from the flu, and the ear inflammation has also resolved.

The First Medical Association reports that there has been a significant increase in patients with various complications from flu and ARVI in hospitals. In just one week, the number of visits with flu and ARVI symptoms rose by 33%. Last week, 568 patients visited the outpatient clinics and polyclinics of the First Medical Association of Lviv, of which 343 were children, mostly school-aged.

“Currently, there are 147 patients undergoing inpatient treatment for complications due to seasonal viral infections in the hospitals of the First Medical Association of Lviv. Among them are seven with a confirmed diagnosis of 'flu' and 63 with pneumonia. The majority of pneumonia patients are children, making up 85% of the total hospitalized with this diagnosis,” – said the medical association.

To reduce the incidence of illness, doctors recommend following preventive measures:

• wash your hands, ventilate rooms, and avoid crowds;
• wear a mask in public places and when visiting medical facilities;
• adhere to cough etiquette and social distancing;
• consult your family doctor at the first signs of symptoms;
• if possible, stay home during the outbreak.