Muscat: Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health (MOH), said that the Sultanate has been witnessing an alarming rise in seasonal flu cases. The minister said that the Ministry of Health has recorded deaths due to seasonal flu.
Seasonal flu is a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly.
“For high-risk groups, influenza can cause severe illness or even death in some cases. For this reason, is highly recommended to take the flu vaccine every year in order to stay safe during the winter season,” a health expert told Observer.
Symptoms of the flu include sudden onset of fever, cough, headache muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose. Although most people recover from fever and other symptoms within a week, the cough can be severe and last up to two or more weeks.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi said the Supreme Committee (SC) continues to follow up on all developments regarding the Coronavirus and added there are 12 suspected cases of Omicron in the Sultanate of Oman.
He said patients in the intensive care units have gone up from three to five and called on citizens and residents to adhere to precautionary measures, including getting vaccines, which are available in all health institutions.
He said that reports from South Africa indicate that Omicron is less ferocious than others, but what’s worrying is how quickly it spreads.
Al Saeedi said the increase in ICU patients is not because of Omicron, but due to lax commitment to precautionary measures. The Ministry of Health has already confirmed the first two cases of the Omicron of two citizens who travelled from abroad and their condition is stable. They are subject to epidemiological investigation.
