Flu epidemic to subside in Russia in two weeks

MOSCOW (Itar-Tass) - A flu epidemic that has been
gripping Russia since December will subside in about two weeks, the
country's consumer rights watchdog forecast.
"On the average the seasonal flu lasts from three to six weeks,"
specialists said.
The beginning of the flu epidemic rise was registered in some regions
of the Siberian and North-Western federal districts last December. Then in
January regions of the Central and Volga federal districts joined the
epidemic.
The number of patients infected with H1N1 pandemic flu increased every
week. In some regions the virus strain was reported in 30 percent of all
flu cases.
"Intensity of the epidemic process of flu and acute respiratory
infections is moderate in the country in general, much lower than that
registered in the 2009-2010 epidemic season," a source in Rospotrebnadzor
said.
Pre-school age and small school age children are infected most often.
Over the past two weeks over 7,000 schools and kindergartens were
closed over the outbreak of the flu.
Specialists say that the quarantine in schools yielded positive
results and helped to considerably reduce the flu incidence rate.