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Coronavirus pandemic

Flu vaccination reduces coronavirus death risk by 23%, expert says

A total of 4,290,135 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia so far

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. Flu vaccination reduces the risk of death for coronavirus patients by 23%, Director General of the Russian Health Ministry’s National Cardiology Research Center Sergei Boitsov said during a scientific conference on the prevention of infectious diseases amid the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday.

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Over 90% of coronavirus patients recover in Russia

"We already have an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of flu vaccination in relation to coronavirus mortality rates," he pointed out. "Our colleagues in Russia released a research report, which shows that flu vaccination reduces coronavirus death risks by 23%," the expert specified.

According to Boitsov, mortality rates are similar among flu and coronavirus patients with cardiovascular diseases, standing at about 17%. At the same time, in his words, 61.1% of flu patients and 14.4% of coronavirus patients require intensive care treatment.

According to Russia’s federal anti-coronavirus crisis center, 4,290,135 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country so far, with 3,869,857 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 87,823 fatalities nationwide. The Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.

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