'Fever won’t go away': Astana residents complain about a “new virus”
What happened
On social media, many Astana residents are reporting symptoms of another viral infection: a prolonged high fever and difficulty getting medical care. Parents write that children’s fevers last 5–7 days, while hospitals and clinics are overcrowded.
“The symptoms are like the flu, but the fever is 39°C and just won’t go down. I waited 30 minutes for an ambulance yesterday… There’s a line at the clinic, and no beds in the hospital,” one resident shared.
Similar complaints have been spreading widely online.
What health officials say
According to Zhanna Praliyeva, Deputy Head of the Astana Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control, the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) and flu in the city remains at last year’s level.
“Since the start of the epidemiological season, that is, since October 2, 2025, 27,469 cases of ARVI have been registered in the capital. The incidence rate is 1,796.8 per 100,000 people, which is 5% lower than during the same period last year,” she said.
Children under 14 account for 61% of all cases (16,624), including 920 infants under one year old.
In total, 982 patients have been hospitalized with ARVI or flu diagnoses, including 76 pregnant women (8%) and 356 infants (36%).
Vaccination and prevention
Since September 23, Astana has been carrying out vaccination against seasonal flu.
A total of 145,000 doses of the Grippol+ vaccine were purchased.
As of October 30, 134,977 people (8.83% of the population) had been vaccinated, 134,077 of them with funds from the local budget. The coverage of high-risk groups reached 98% — 72,705 people vaccinated out of 144,500 eligible.
Officials reminded residents to follow preventive measures:
See a doctor at the first sign of illness,
Avoid crowded places,
Wear masks,
Keep sick children at home.
“We continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and urge citizens to take responsibility for their own health and that of others,” the department emphasized.