Dear journalist
The situation regarding Covid-19
The registration of coronavirus infection continues in the world, according to WHO, over the past week, there has been a 3% decrease in the incidence in the world as a whole, an increase in the incidence is noted in America and the countries of the Western Pacific (Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Korea, Singapore, Japan), in the remaining 4 regions (Europe, South-East Asia, Africa, Eastern Mediterranean) the incidence is reduced from 16 to 36%.
By country, there has been an increase in morbidity in 54 countries over the past week, including in Georgia, the incidence increased by 71% (from 431 to 735 cases), in Moldova by 31% (from 4,000 to 5,000 cases), in Romania by 16% (from 2,924 to 3,386 cases), in Germany by 4% (from 221 thousand to 231 thousand cases), in India by 3% (from 1135 to 1170 cases), in Azerbaijan by 3% (from 536 to 556 cases).
The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 strain continues to be the dominant variant circulating worldwide, accounting for 87% of the studied samples (including BA.5 – 70.0%, VA.4 – 2.0%, VA.2 - 9.6%, BQ.1 - 36%).
When determining the genetic characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Kazakhstan in November of this year, the circulation of the Omicron variant was also established, of which the subgenetic line BQ.1.1 (Cerberus) was detected in 0.5%, and other variants of the Omicron strain were found in 99.5%.
The Cerberus variant has now been identified in more than 65 countries around the world and does not differ from the previous omicron subspecies. The disease most often occurs in a mild form in the form of an acute respiratory disease.
In Kazakhstan, in December, compared with November, there was a 2.3-fold increase in the incidence (from 2,169 to 5,127 cases).
Up to 300 cases of CVI+ and up to 20 cases of CVI- are registered per day.
For reference: As of December 28, 1,402,049 patients with CVI+ and 90,512 cases of CVI- were registered.
According to the epidemiological situation assessment matrix, since August 12, the Republic of Kazakhstan and all regions have been in the green zone, but the R indicator is higher than one in 15 regions of the country, with the exception of Zhetisu, Atyrau, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, North Kazakhstan regions, which indicates an increase in the spread of infection.
The Ministry receives a lot of questions about the current and planned restrictive measures, so I want to inform you about the current restrictions.
According to the current restrictive measures for coronavirus infection, when registering the R index above 1, it is recommended to wear masks in crowded places.
During the transition of the region to the yellow zone, measures will be taken aimed at separating teams, this is the transfer of close contacts, employees with absolute contraindications to vaccination to a remote form of work, the exclusion of events with the combination of groups in educational organizations.
During the transition of the region to the red zone, depending on the spread of infection and the number of hospitalized, restrictive measures will be taken, such as the transfer to the online format of meetings, the mandatory use of masks in closed rooms, in all modes of transport, the introduction of restrictions on visits to closed institutions, the mandatory use of the Ashyq application at facilities, the transfer of 30% of employees to remote form of work, limitation of occupancy of objects no more than 50% during events.
The occupancy of infectious beds is 13% (309 beds), intensive care beds – 4% (17 beds).
For reference: There are 3 patients on a ventilator (Astana), 2 on a ventilator, 12 patients on independent breathing.
Almost all patients have concomitant diseases. Have concomitant diseases more, including diseases of the circulatory system, respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity, etc.
Inpatient care in the republic is provided by 172 infectious diseases hospitals, with a capacity of 2,378 beds.
The highest employment of infectious beds is noted in
Zhambyl region – 70%, Astana – 52%, Almaty - 30%.
High employment of intensive care beds is noted in Astana - 28%, Shymkent – 10%,
Dear journalists
Dear Kazakhstanis
Revaccination against CVI is still the only protection against infection. Vaccination and revaccination of the population continues in the republic.
For reference: today, about 81.1% of the subject adult population or more than 57% of the total population of the country are vaccinated against CVI.
5.7 million people, or 70.5% of the subject population, received the first revaccination, and 1.2 million people, or 54.8% of the subject population, received the second revaccination.
On average, 2,600 people are vaccinated with the first revaccination per day, and 4,300 people are vaccinated with repeated revaccination.
An average of 120 people are vaccinated against coronavirus infection per day.
Currently, 3 types of vaccines are available in Kazakhstan for vaccination and revaccination of the population: Kazvak, Sinofarm and Pfizer. There are 98 thousand doses of KazVak, 306 thousand doses of Sinofarm and 71 thousand Pfizer in the remaining vaccination points.
Dear journalists
Dear Kazakhstanis
The flu situation
Now I want to inform you about the epidemic situation for influenza and SARS.
Currently, there is a seasonal increase in the incidence of SARS and influenza.
According to the WHO European Region, influenza activity continues to increase throughout the Region with earlier seasonal activity than in the seasons before the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a mixed spread of circulating viruses in the countries.
In 125 countries of the world, about 100 thousand cases of influenza were confirmed in the laboratory, of which 97.9% were influenza A and 2.1% were influenza B.
Since the beginning of the epidemic season (from October 1, 2022), 2.2 million cases of acute respiratory viral infections and 2,284 cases of influenza have been registered in Kazakhstan (influenza B – 2002, A(H3N2) – 14, and (H1N1) – 268). 65% of cases occur in children under 14 years of age.
The season of SARS and influenza occurs annually from October to April, the current epidemic season was characterized by the early onset of the circulation of the influenza virus.
In comparison with the same period last year, the incidence of SARS increased by 10% (for the same period in 2021, 1,988,692 cases of SARS).
In the pre–epidemic period in October, 2.4 million people or 12.7% of the total population of the republic were vaccinated against influenza in the republic, including: children under 14 years - 518 thousand (22%), adults – 1.8 million (78%).
Also, respiratory viral infections are dominated by rhinovirus, MS viral and adenovirus infections, which are registered up to 30% of positive samples (10,469 samples were examined, 1032 samples were positive).
PHC organizations work in a regular mode with ensuring the operation of filter cabinets, compliance with sanitary-disinfection and epidemiological regime.
Of the sick, about 90% receive treatment at the outpatient level.
There are 5,695 facilities providing primary health care in the republic.
PHC organizations have 12,678 sites, including 1,913 pediatric, 1,129 therapeutic and 9636 GP sites.
There are 108,909 medical workers working in PHC organizations, including 33,787 doctors, 75,122 nurses. The personnel reserve of PHC is 1,273 doctors, 2,876 secondary medical workers.
To provide medical care to patients with acute respiratory viral infections and suspected CVI , PHC organizations operate
2,289 mobile brigades, 1022 of them in rural areas, 1521 in reserve.
For reference: According to the standard of equipment, a mobile brigade is formed based on 5 thousand people.
In 10 months of 2022, mobile teams carried out 919,174 visits. The largest number of departures was carried out in the Karaganda region and in the cities of Nur-Sultan and Almaty.
739 Call centers have been created in PHC organizations, 2739 filter cabinets have been deployed. 1,492 ambulance crews have been created to provide emergency medical care (there are 2,295 units of medical vehicles).
There are 15,826 people on inpatient treatment with respiratory diseases, of which 8,202 (52%) are diagnosed with ARVI, and 19 (0.12%) with influenza.
I want to remind you about the clinical manifestations of influenza from acute respiratory viral infections, the flu has a short incubation period, which lasts up to 1.5 days, whereas with CVI and other acute respiratory viral infections it lasts up to 10 days. Also, the flu, in comparison with ARVI, begins acutely and is characterized by an increase in body temperature to 39 ° C, chills, muscle and headache, aches throughout the body, dry cough with pain behind the sternum.
Given the height of the epidemic season of influenza and SARS, the upcoming New Year holidays in order to prevent influenza, SARS and SARS, I urge the population:
– use masks in crowded places:
– limit visits to crowded places, especially enclosed spaces, especially with children;
– regularly ventilate the premises;
– use antiseptics or disinfecting wipes for hand treatment;
– limit contacts with sick people;
- if symptoms of influenza and ARVI appear, leave children at home and do not send them to organized groups (preschool organizations, schools), call a doctor at home
Flu is dangerous with complications, therefore, when the first signs of respiratory diseases appear, you can not self-medicate, you must immediately consult a doctor.
Dear journalists
Dear Kazakhstanis
On the eve of the long New Year holidays, I would also like to draw your attention to the recommendations for preventing food poisoning:
- do not buy food in places of unauthorized trade;
- do not store long-term cooked food;
- do not use expired products;
- to transport and store food, use clean packaging (polyethylene, paper, food containers);
- observe the temperature regime of cooking dishes (especially meat, fish, using seafood and eggs);
- follow the rules of personal hygiene;