Monday 24/November/2025 – 05:01 AM
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesman for… Ministry of HealthHe said that there are no new or unknown viruses in Egypt or the world, stressing that what is being said in this regard is baseless.
Health: An increase in respiratory infections is normal
Abdel Ghaffar explained, during a video for the Cabinet Information Center, that the rise in respiratory virus infection rates in the period from October to February is a recurring occurrence annually, and occurs globally, and that the current increase is completely similar to previous years and within normal limits.
He pointed out that what is new this year is the increased activity of the influenza virus, as it represents no less than 66% of infection cases, explaining that influenza, especially type A, is considered to have the most severe symptoms among respiratory viruses, followed by syncytial virus, then influenza B, then Covid-19.
He added that the feeling of an increase in the severity of symptoms this year is due to several reasons, including the decline in community immunity against influenza during the years of the spread of Corona, as the activity of influenza and syncytial virus decreased by up to 99% at that time, which led to a weakening of acquired immunity.
Abdel Ghaffar pointed out that abandoning good health habits after the Corona pandemic – such as washing hands, wearing a mask when sick, and distancing – also contributed to increased susceptibility to viruses and the simultaneous infection with more than one virus in some cases.
At the conclusion of his statement, he stressed that expectations indicate that things will return to normal between the 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 seasons, with community immunity stabilizing and virus spread patterns returning to their previous times.
