iTV.ge | Ivane Chkhaidze – The most common coronavirus in the country

The coronavirus, which is spreading most widely in the country — we didn’t have such high transmission rates at this time last year, and it’s illogical to find it in the summer — Ivane Chkhaidze, medical director of the Iashvili Central Children’s Hospital, told Interpressnews “About this.

As explained by TSSU professor Ivane Chkhaidze, head of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, the so-called Omicron, whose clinical course has no specific severity, mainly causes clinical symptoms similar to those of a cold.

“This year’s season is special, the influenza virus identification period has been greatly extended. Generally, the domestic influenza virus detection period is from October to November to April, and reaches a peak. This year’s December-January period is an exception, because the influenza season has been extended not only in Georgia, but also in other countries, influenza viruses of the “A” and “B” types have been detected in the summer.

The second feature is the relatively high proportion of coronaviruses. As you know, coronaviruses belong to the respiratory viruses, which should have a seasonal peak, and it is illogical to find it in the summer. The coronavirus was expected to emerge in the winter, however, this coronavirus does not seem to follow the standard trend. Now, in the 31 calendar week of this year, the area with the most severe coronavirus transmission is the country. This is certainly noteworthy, we did not have such a high transmission rate in this period last year either. In 2024, we have such a difference. Fortunately, the variants of the coronavirus that are now circulating are the same as those of the past two years, the so-called “variants”. Omicron, which are characterized by not being particularly severe as the current ones. They mainly cause cold-like clinical symptoms, do not cause hospitalization, and rarely cause lung damage. The majority of coronaviruses does not mean that the clinical course of infected patients is severe, nor is it the main factor leading to hospitalization. The excess of coronaviruses and the extension of influenza viruses this year are very prominent”, Chihaize pointed out and explained that the country also has viruses that are typical of the summer, namely rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, parainfluenza viruses, enteroviruses.