U.S., Europe, China see flu outbreak

The outbreak of influenza has gripped 47 U.S. states. A public health emergency has been announced in New York City after dozens of patients, children among them, died from flu-related complications. The outbreak has also been reported in some European countries and in China. Meanwhile, the flu season is even not at its peak.

US medics have been working round the clock to treat all patients addressing the overcrowded clinics. People have to spend hours in queues to get examined by a doctor. As of the end of last week, a total of 19,128 flu cases were registered in New York state alone, four times higher than in 2012.

In China, flu has affected a record number of 1 million people within just a week. Many flu cases have been registered in Europe, too. Five patients died from flu-related complications in the Czech Republic, and two flu deaths were reported in Poland. While the exact flu death toll in the U.S. is yet to be unveiled, it has been already reported about the death of at least 20 children and dozens of adults there.

The director of the Flu Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Oleg Kisilev, blames such a high flu death toll in the U.S. on neglecting first aid measures: “The U.S. has quite a peculiar health care system: its doctors are usually perfect in providing emergency medical aid but when it comes to preventive care there is still much room for improvement.”

Read more: U.S., Europe, China see flu outbreak: Voice of Russia