Russia going through second wave of respiratory infections, but it is lower than in Sept - watchdog

MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax) - Russia is going through a second wave of respiratory infections, but it is lower than the one that was recorded in September; Covid-19 accounts for 30% of cases compared to 10% for flu, head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova said on Wednesday.

"The total number of weekly infections is indeed significant. We are seeing a second wave. The first wave was the highest; it happened in the middle of September, when people came back and the total number of patients hit 1.3 million per week. The level is slightly lower today, which is proven by morbidity," Popova said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 television channel (VGTRK).

Covid-19 accounts for 30% of cases, and the figure is the same for rhinoviruses, Popova said. "We have a small amount of true influenza, up to 10% for now, in addition to other viruses, such as parainfluenza, other respiratory viruses and adenoviruses, of which we have quite a lot," Popova said.

As for Covid-19, Russia is seeing the second consecutive week of a decline in infections after two months of a "steady" rise, Popova said. "The Covid-19 curve is on the decline for now, and as all of us understand, each of us has friends and acquaintances, Covid-19 has stopped being as frequent as, say, a year ago," she said.

On the whole, morbidity in Russia is manageable, Popova said.

"Still, if we want to live through the New Year and to see it in in good health, we should use personal protective equipment, such as masks. There is nothing unusual or awful about this. You do not have to wear gloves, but keep your hands and gadgets clean," she said.