Upper respiratory infections are rising in Istanbul with the arrival of autumn, the city’s top health official said, with about 559,000 people visiting hospitals with such complaints over the past month.
Doç. Dr. Abdullah Emre Güner, the Istanbul Provincial Health Director, told Anadolu Agency that the increase was expected at this time of year and that hospitals were coping. "We have no problem with our bed or intensive care occupancy rates," he said, according to the agency.
Istanbul has more than 46,000 hospital beds in service and over 6,000 intensive care beds, Güner said. The provincial health directorate is the local arm of the Ministry of Health and oversees state hospitals and family health centres in the city.
Symptoms and who is at risk
The most common complaints are a runny nose, cough and sore throat, with fever also frequent in children. Güner said most cases are not severe but can leave people weak and tired and drive up hospital visits if precautions are not taken.
People with chronic illnesses, bedridden patients and frail elderly people face a higher risk of serious infection, he said.
Advice: ventilation, rest and keeping sick children home
Güner recommended a balanced diet, regular sleep and frequent airing of rooms. He urged parents to keep children with a fever, runny nose or sore throat at home until they recover, and said anyone with symptoms should take steps to avoid passing the infection on.
Free flu shots for at-risk groups
Güner stressed that flu vaccination should be done before people fall ill. Elderly people and others in risk groups can get a prescription from their family doctor (aile hekimi) and collect the vaccine free of charge from pharmacies, he said.
Foreign residents registered with a family doctor through Türkiye’s public system should ask their family health centre (aile sağlığı merkezi) whether they qualify; others can usually buy the vaccine privately at pharmacies. Our explainer on health insurance for foreign residents sets out how coverage works, and our Istanbul living guide covers hospitals and clinics in the city. Readers using private clinics may also find our piece on Türkiye’s health tourism rules useful, along with our wider moving to Türkiye checklist.
Sources
Photo: Whispyhistory / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
