Lower respiratory tract infection

With a surge in viral infections seen amid the ongoing cold and damp winter weather, an infectious diseases specialist has warned of a "virus potpourri," as the number of patients in emergency units with upper respiratory tract infections has doubled in recent days. 

The rise of mycoplasma pneumonia, akin to the "Chinese" child pneumonia, has been witnessed across Europe, echoing the respiratory concerns observed in China, reports Euronews.

Authorities on the popular Greek holiday island of Mykonos were scrambling on Thursday to discover how a 69-year-old resident contracted the novel coronavirus and to trace everyone she may have come into contact with in order to contain its spread.

The decision was made due to high rate of respiratory infections in the population and an increased number of admissions to hospital of patients with symptoms of respiratory infections, RTS reported.

The number of hospital emergency room visits increased by 10 percent compared with the same period last year, even though the cases of seasonal upper respiratory tract infections were similar to previous years, according to the Ministry of Health.