This winter no sicker than usual

CASES of gastroenteritis increased this winter, but the number of people suffering from the flu was as expected, the Health Ministry said yesterday.
Doctor Chrystalla Hadjianastassiou, the Ministry’s Chief Medical Officer, told the Mail the rise in gastro cases was due to an international outbreak.

“In these modern times, we have so many people travelling abroad and it’s so easy to pick up the virus and then spread it around the small island,” she said.
Despite the fact that people everywhere have been struck down with colds and flu all winter, Hadjianastasiou said government statistics from the hospitals show that the number of cases this year are similar to those seen in previous years.

She did admit, however, that many cases were not reported.

A Nicosia GP said she noticed people starting to get sick last November.

“When the cold weather kicked in, that’s when people started getting colds, flu, gastroenteritis and various other respiratory viruses,” said Helen Nicolaou.

“Winter weather means that people remain indoors, gathering in enclosed spaces which helps transmit viruses.”

The GP explained that poor ventilation was another contributing factor, as was poor personal hygiene. “If somebody is suffering from a virus, and does not wash their hands after going to the bathroom, something as simple as shaking another person’s hand can transmit the virus.”

Nicolaou did state that the wave of sickness was on its way out though. “At its peak, I would say that five to six people would visit my surgery every day this winter, but I’m now seeing less and less as every epidemic has a natural timescale.”

Her advice for people suffering from colds and flu is to stay home and avoid enclosed spaces and taking too much medicine. Take lots of fluids, ventilate houses and give your body time to get rid of the virus.

Regarding people suffering from gastroenteritis, her advice was to take lots of fluids, stick to a light diet and maintain personal hygiene.
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The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.