Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/926403
maltatoday SUNDAY 14 JANUARY 2018 2 News Influenza talk of 'worst Valletta residents proud of V18, but say they have been neglected THE influenza season has been par- ticularly bad this year, with Mater Dei hospital being swamped with people presenting severe flu symp- toms. 'Worst flu season I have ever seen' Shirley Farrugia, a general practi- tioner with around 30 years of expe- rience, said this winter brought with it the worst flu season she has ever seen. "We saw more cases than usual this year, and they started earlier. We have been seeing flu cases since the second week of December, and there was a large surge after the Christmas period. The health au- thorities are predicting that, by the end of winter, around half of Malta's population would have fallen ill with influenza," she said. "We can confirm these predic- tions, as doctors have been having large numbers of patients who pre- sent flu symptoms - rapid onsets of fatigue, high fever, nausea, dizziness and eventually a dry cough which turns productive." Flu self-limiting in healthy patients Not all cases are serious, she ex- plained, and in most healthy pa- tients, influenza is a self-limiting condition which patients can re- cover from. However, influenza can become a serious issue in people with under- AFTER all the hype, V18 is finally here. With the official opening expected this week, the capital saw the beginning of a number of new structural projects and the completion of oth- ers – most notably the Triton fountain – as well as plans for regeneration, various events and a significant amount of embellishments. But what do Valletta residents think of all this, and how has the change affected these people in the areas they live in? MaltaToday took to the lower parts of Valletta to hear what they had to say. One woman told us that it is a positive thing that more tourists are being attracted to the capital as a result of V18. "It didn't affect me much personally, though I'm happy to see that the projects are finally improving the look of Valletta," she told us. But while general consensus was that Valletta was worthy of the title of European Culture Capital, there are parts of the city which still needed some work. A man who owns a bar in the lower part of Valletta showed us pavements and a light-post which he believes should be fixed this year. "There is a lot to be done. The public convenience in this area, which has been closed for the past 40 years, should be reopened as tourists visit often." The government is supposed to be making progress, the man said, but there is a need to repair and develop the area. He is optimistic, saying that developments are being done step- by-step and that he thinks they will eventually reach the lower parts of the capital. "I do feel that this area has been cut off from the rest by both administrations. Not much happens here." "They said that these things will be fixed in 2018. I hope that this promise is kept." "I think they have forgotten us for a long time," he said, adding that he wishes the many empty flats in the area would be occupied. Another man said that V18 is an 'honour' for Valletta residents, and that he looks forward to when carnival rolls around. However, much like many other residents, he felt that the outskirts of the city required some attention. "[The area] needs to be repaired because it has been abandoned," saying that the work hasn't even started. "It is unacceptable that a city like this only has five squares. Aren't we human be- ings too?" "In the 60s and 70s, we were 23,000 voters. Nowadays, with children included, we barely make up 3,000 residents." "We don't even have where to live. Mostly foreigners live here, while the children of lo- cals are crying because they want to come live here," he said, adding that the government ought to build a retirement home as soon as possible and secure residences for the younger generation. "Every building is sold to foreign- ers. This isn't fair." But he is hopeful that V18 will change things for the better. In fact, part of the legacy pro- jects for V18 include a plan to build a retire- ment home in the lower part of Valletta. Sev- eral regeneration projects were also promised by the chairman of the V18 foundation Jason Micallef this month. "I was born here and I will die here," another resident told us, adding that there is a lot to be proud of. "We used to be neglected, nobody used to take care of us, and we never used to see such things in Valletta." Despite the fact that there is more to be done, he said, he is enthusiastic as he thinks that things will improve slowly. There are many reasons why Valletta should be the capital for culture for 2018, he told us, and in fact he thinks the city should have been nominated earlier. But mostly, with the current projects brought on by V18, he said that the conditions for resi- dents are finally improving. "I am happy now, and we have a lot to benefit from." TIA RELJIC Around half of Malta's population might contract influenza by end of winter, vaccine might not work in cases of infections with different strain As the capital city prepares to officially take on the mantle of European Capital of Culture for 2018, MaltaToday spoke to residents who shared their enthusiasm, concerns, and reflections on V18 Around half of Malta's population will likely have become ill with influenza by the end of winter I was born here and I will die here… we have a lot to benefit from - bar owner in lower Valletta We have been forgotten for so long… the public convenience has been closed for over 40 years - resident Our elderly mothers are crying for an old people's home... aren't we human beings too? - resident YANNICK PACE MASSIMO COSTA