Increase in people becoming ill with cold and flu-like illnesses

There has been an increase in people becoming ill with cold and flu-like illnesses, especially infants and children under the age of 5.

This is because of the dry and cold season.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the pediatrics department at CWM Hospital is also seeing an increase in children under the age of 5 being admitted with acute respiratory illnesses while testing negative for COVID-19 and influenza.

Doctor Fong says it is expected that as restrictions intended to prevent transmission of COVID-19 were lifted, other respiratory viruses that normally circulate would begin to re-emerge similar to pre-COVID levels, and possibly even at higher levels due to a decrease in population immunity to seasonal viruses.