Litia Cava 
[Photo: File]
Deaths among people suffering from influenza-like illnesses may be linked to underlying medical conditions.
This, according to Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu.
He said Fiji was seeing a seasonal surge in influenza cases, with numbers comparable to the same period last year.
He states that the increase does not, at this stage, indicate a state of emergency.
“We have mechanisms and processes in place where real-time data are available to the Fiji CDC through early warning systems.”
Dr Lalabalavu said the Health Ministry was also monitoring COVID-19, following reports of the virus circulating again.
However, he says this has yet to be confirmed.
Dr Lalabalavu says data from the Fiji Centre for Disease Control clearly points to influenza as the current strain being detected.
He says real-time data is available to Fiji CDC through early warning systems, allowing health authorities to monitor cases and trends.
Influenza can cause fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and fatigue. While most people recover without complications, it can become serious for older people, young children
and those with underlying health conditions.
COVID-19 can cause similar respiratory symptoms, which is why testing and surveillance are important in determining which virus is responsible for an increase in cases.
The Health Ministry continues to monitor influenza-like illnesses and respiratory infections through its surveillance systems.
