Dr. Abdullah Asiri, Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for Preventive Health, has announced a comprehensive strategy to monitor respiratory infections in Saudi Arabia, deploying a network of 100 hospitals and healthcare centers. This initiative is a key component of the country's proactive approach to surveil various respiratory infections and identify their underlying causes.

Dr. Asiri, also an infectious diseases consultant at the ministry, outlined the extensive monitoring infrastructure, consisting of 30 hospitals and 70 primary healthcare centers strategically distributed across geographic and demographic areas. These medical monitoring centers will gather data on respiratory infections, prioritizing serious cases. Respiratory samples (swabs) will undergo examination at two levels to ensure comprehensive analysis.

At the first level, sample examination occurs at the monitoring center, encompassing influenza, coronavirus, and the respiratory syncytial virus. The second level, conducted at the Public Health Authority (Weqaya) laboratory, includes the analysis of other germs, with a sub-classification of influenza and genetic sequencing of coronavirus.

Dr. Asiri issued a cautionary warning regarding the potential resurgence of respiratory infections to pre-COVID-19 levels, emphasizing the importance of not neglecting preventive measures. He stressed that the current viruses and bacteria in circulation are of known types, and there is currently no indication of the spread of new epidemics.