Kyiv residents massively complain of voice loss, cough, fever: doctors name the cause
13 June 2025 16:30
Despite the summer, many Kyiv residents are currently suffering from an unknown disease with flu-like symptoms. The disease is accompanied by a severe cough, fever, and even complete loss of voice.
The "Komersant Ukrainian" editorial board asked for an explanation from experts.
According to Natalia Gunchenko, deputy director of the Kyiv City Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the current activity of respiratory infections falls within the normal seasonal cycle.
“The season of respiratory viruses lasts from the 40th to the 20th week – from October to about mid-May. Although the season is officially over, the viruses have not disappeared – they are circulating constantly,” explains the epidemiologist.
Kyiv has a sentinel surveillance system: special laboratories regularly monitor pathogens so that doctors can adapt vaccinations to changes in the viral environment.
“We constantly isolate certain viruses. Complications usually occur in people with concomitant diseases who seek help late,” emphasizes Gunchenko.
Epidemiologist Natalia Vynohrad points out that the symptoms described are typical of classic respiratory viruses, which have a wide range of manifestations – from a mild runny nose to laryngitis and lung damage.
“We have adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, and coronaviruses circulating all the time. Most of them start with upper respiratory tract infections – in some cases, it can lead to voice loss,” she says.
The expert adds that some of the symptoms can be exacerbated by another factor – air quality.
“The manifestations we are seeing now are often associated with chemical pollution. It is a combination of biological and chemical factors,” Vynohrad notes.
She also emphasizes the need for a responsible approach to vaccination , especially in times of war, when many people have not received the necessary vaccinations. This increases the vulnerability of the population to a number of immune-driven infections.
Experts urge not to self-medicate and not to wait for it to go away. Loss of voice, prolonged cough, and high fever are reasons to see a doctor.
Although the new virus has not been officially recorded, the symptoms are well known to epidemiologists.
A seasonal wave of illnesses is normal, but its consequences can be unpredictable for a weakened body.
