Feeling the impact of autumn illnesses
Sigríður Dóra Magnúsdóttir, director of the Capital Region's Health Service. With cooler weather the annual autumn illnesses kick in and health authorities are feeling it with more traffic to health facilities. Composite image
"Autumn illnesses are coming in full force and we really feel it," says Sigríður Dóra Magnúsdóttir, director of the Capital Region's Health Service, to mbl.is.
"When the weather gets colder, there will be an increase in all kinds of illnesses, and that's something that doesn't surprise us. We encourage people to act sensibly. There are various household advice that can help with most of these ailments, and people can go to pharmacies and get over-the-counter medicines," says Magnúsdóttir, who took over the position of CEO from Óskar Reykdalsson earlier this month.
Increase in Covid-19 cases
Many people have been in the Landspítali's emergency room recently. It was stated in the interview of epidemiologist Guðrún Aspelund with mbl.is this week that more than 20 people are now in the hospital with Covid-19.
There has been an increase in Covid cases in recent weeks, with most people using home tests. Vaccinations against Covid 19 and influenza will start in the middle of October for specified target groups. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
"There was a request from Landspítali to have a good cooperation with us, and there will be no problem on our part. We are not diagnosing Covid-19 specifically in the healthcare facilities, but we are very aware that there is an increase of Covid-19 going on. People are diagnosing it themselves with home tests and self-tests," she says.
Vaccinations start in October
She says that vaccinations against influenza and Covid-19 will start in the middle of next month at all health centers.
"We will present the organization of the vaccinations as it gets closer, who will be vaccinated and who the target group will be," says the director of the Capital Region Health Service.