In Ukraine, 249.3 thousand people contracted the flu, ARVI, and COVID-19 within a week.
This was reported by the Ministry of Health.
"Ukraine is experiencing a typical mid-epidemic season surge in ARVI, flu, and COVID-19 cases. Compared to the previous week, the number of patients increased by 20%: from February 17 to 23, 249,344 people fell ill, including 141,372 children," the statement said.
Epidemiologists predict that the trend of increasing illness will continue for the next two weeks.
In general, as noted by the ministry, the incidence is 17% lower compared to the previous epidemic season. The increase in ARVI cases is associated with the circulation of flu viruses in 22 regions of the country. Since the onset of flu virus circulation in the country - from January - 25 fatal cases due to complications have been registered. According to doctors, the deceased did not have preventive flu vaccinations.
Currently, the Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernivtsi regions have recorded an exceedance of the high epidemic threshold. In another 14 regions — Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions - the level is average. In the Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions, it is low. In these regions or individual localities, enhanced anti-epidemic measures, known as "local quarantine," may be implemented based on the decision of the regional emergency commission. This includes distance learning in certain school classes, limiting the number of visitors in establishments, and other anti-epidemic measures. In other regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv, the situation is stable, with a pre-epidemic level being observed.
In the week from February 17 to 23, 6,927 people with complications from ARVI, flu, and COVID-19 were hospitalized, including 4,133 children. Among the patients requiring medical assistance in a facility, 220 were diagnosed with COVID-19.
As noted by the Ministry of Health, at the national level, the hospitalization rate among patients with ARVI complications is not critical. In each region, there is enhanced epidemic monitoring, with regional health departments (DOZ) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) daily analyzing the situation with the spread of illness and the provision of hospitals with necessary medicines and bed capacity for patients with ARVI, flu, and COVID-19 complications, meant for hospitalization in wards and intensive care units.
The Ministry of Health reminded that if, during hospitalization with ARVI, flu, and COVID-19 complications, the hospital reports a lack of necessary medications or directs for paid X-ray or CT, one should contact the Ministry of Health’s "hotline" at 0 800 505 201 or the NSZU "hotline" at 16-77. The Healthcare Guarantee Program ensures these services for patients free of charge.
As reported, from the beginning of the epidemic season from September 30, 2024, to February 23, 2025, 2,718,757 people contracted ARVI, flu, and COVID-19, which is 17.3% less than the corresponding period of the 2023-2024 season. During this time, 18,329 cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed by healthcare workers. Due to flu and ARVI complications, 108 fatal cases have been registered.