Increase in Respiratory Infections; Influenza Cases in Alborz Province Exceed Warning Threshold – Emphasis on HSE Measures in Workplaces

Amid a rising trend in respiratory infection symptoms across the country, health authorities have warned about the need to strengthen preventive measures and strictly observe Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) protocols in workplaces and public settings.

According to the report, the Head of the Center for Communicable Disease Control at Iran’s Ministry of Health stated that the prevalence of respiratory infection symptoms among both outpatient and hospitalized patients has increased, highlighting the importance of reinforcing preventive measures across communities and organizations.

Qobad Moradi noted that, based on national disease surveillance data, approximately 5.3% of outpatients are currently presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms, while 7% of hospitalized patients are experiencing severe respiratory symptoms, indicating an upward trend in respiratory infections in recent weeks.

He added that laboratory testing results show that the proportion of influenza-positive samples among hospitalized patients has decreased, while it has increased among outpatients during the current week. Meanwhile, the proportion of positive COVID‑19 respiratory samples remains relatively low, and influenza and other seasonal viral respiratory infections are currently the main concern.

Moradi further explained that according to data from the national laboratory surveillance system, during the 11th week of the year 1405 (Iranian calendar), 13.2% of tested samples in Alborz Province were positive for influenza, a rate that exceeds the epidemiological warning threshold and requires increased preventive attention in communities and workplaces.

He also reported that in several other provinces—Golestan, East Azerbaijan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Hamadan, Zanjan, and Gilan—the percentage of influenza-positive cases is higher than the national average and above the lower alert threshold, although it has not yet reached the high alert level.

HSE experts emphasize that organizations and industrial workplaces should reinforce preventive health and safety measures during periods of increased respiratory infections. Key actions include improving ventilation in enclosed spaces, maintaining personal hygiene practices, managing workforce density, encouraging employees with respiratory symptoms to seek medical care and rest, and using personal protective equipment when necessary.

Experts also recommend that companies and industrial units, in cooperation with their HSE and occupational health departments, implement employee health monitoring programs, awareness campaigns, and workplace risk control measures to help reduce the transmission of respiratory diseases in occupational environments and prevent potential outbreaks within workplaces.

Experts also recommend that companies and industrial units, in cooperation with their HSE and occupational health departments, implement employee health monitoring programs, awareness campaigns, and workplace risk control measures to help reduce the transmission of respiratory diseases in occupational environments and prevent potential outbreaks within workplaces.