Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Experts do not see sufficient grounds to suspend the educational process in educational institutions of Uzbekistan. This was stated by the first deputy chairman of the Committee for Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health under the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan Nurmat Atabekov.

The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan notes that currently in Uzbekistan, as in most countries of the world, the spread of seasonal diseases has increased. This period is especially difficult for children.

Nurmat Atabekov, first deputy chairman of the Committee for Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health of Uzbekistan, noted that rumors about a new pandemic are spreading among the population.

Atabekov said that these allegations are completely unfounded. “I’ll emphasize once again that this is not even an epidemic,” he added.

According to him, the spread of acute respiratory diseases is most often recorded in Tashkent and in some regions of Uzbekistan. And this cannot serve as a basis for saying that the spread of the disease has reached an epidemic threshold.

“Each of us is susceptible to acute respiratory diseases, especially influenza. We must try to break the chain of spread of acute respiratory infections,” the expert emphasized.

“If we send infected children to school, kindergarten, public places, they will continue to infect others,” he added.

Nurmat Atabekov advised parents not to send children with symptoms of the disease to kindergartens, schools and higher education institutions. According to him, children should undergo the necessary procedures at home as prescribed by a doctor. In the current situation, our task is to isolate patients and keep them away from public places, he noted.

“In all infectious diseases hospitals in our country, a reserve of beds and necessary medications has been created. Patients should always wear a medical mask while communicating, maintain social distance and strictly observe personal hygiene,” the expert emphasized.

He also recalled that vaccination against the disease is an effective way to combat the disease. According to him, a sufficient number of flu vaccines have been prepared for the beginning of the season in Uzbekistan. There are currently 3 types of influenza vaccines available at private vaccination centers.