Thick ice and windy conditions in the Gulf of Finland are causing problems for the many cargo ships that traverse the Baltic Sea region — including in Finnish territory, Hufvudstadsbladet reported on Friday.

Several cargo ships have been getting stuck in the sea ice due to the conditions, the Swedish-language daily noted, citing the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

According to standard regional practices during wintertime, getting the large vessels un-stuck also sometimes means Finnish authorities cooperating with Russian icebreakers.

The paper said that Russian icebreakers also assist ships requiring assistance in Finnish territorial waters, upon a request from Finland.

In such cases, the agency — as well as the Finnish Border Guard — keep their eyes on the situation.

Both agencies say they are actively working to promote safe shipping, according to HBL.

First the flu, now RSV

Finland still hasn't gotten over the flu. On Wednesday, our newspaper roundup found that the influenza season is still at its peak — and it appears the peak will continue for weeks.

However, newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported on Friday that the number of cases of another viral illness — the respiratory syncytial virus, or easier to pronounce 'RSV' — are starting to rise.

Niina Ikonen, a senior specialist at national health agency THL, said that cases have been growing since the beginning of the month.

In the first week of February, the agency tallied around 80 lab-confirmed cases of RSV in the country, but at the end of last week it had recorded 200 new cases.

"It is clearly visible that an epidemic is starting," Ikonen told the paper.

Asko Järvinen, chief physician at the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS), said that RSV cases had doubled in the district over the previous two weeks.

"You could say that an epidemic is already underway," he said.

Järvinen noted that RSV epidemics tend to strike every other spring and every other autumn, and that the epidemic was expected.

A respiratory syncytial virus infection can be particularly hard on the elderly. So far, the people who have received hospital care for the illness have been older adults.

Like the flu, RSV is a respiratory system illness, but for people in otherwise good physical health, it is "just another flu", according to Järvinen.

He advised people with respiratory illnesses to seek medical attention if their symptoms significantly worsen or if they experience shortness of breath.

The paper explained the differences between the flu and RSV.

It said influenza is characterised by a rapid onset of illness and a high fever.

RSV, on the other hand, often develops more slowly. It causes more mucus and breathing difficulties than influenza — especially in young children.

Järvinen recommended that people in certain risk groups should seek medical attention more quickly than others, if RSV is suspected.

Such risk groups include children under the age of one, people with underlying illnesses and the elderly.

In the worst cases, infants with RSV end up in intensive care wards, as mucus can cause problems in getting enough oxygen, according to Järvinen.

RSV is a common cause of hospitalization in infants, but there is an antibody that can be given to children, as well as a vaccine that can be given to expectant mothers.

It's slippery out there

The messy winter weather on Thursday caused problems on roads across the country, according to Ilta-Sanomat.

Driving conditions were poor in all areas of Finland on Thursday. The paper noted that warnings for potentially dangerous driving conditions were in effect in many parts of the country on Friday, as well.

There are also warnings out for pedestrians, as many pavement surfaces are slick with ice, resulting from the recent combination of snow, sleet and rain.

Ilta-Sanomat's weather blog on Friday noted several vehicle accidents in many parts of the country.

One accident involved a long-distance bus that skidded into a ditch in the municipality of Joutsa, as it was heading towards Helsinki, according to the paper. It occurred at around 10pm on Thursday. However, the paper did not report any injuries in the incident.

Ilta-Sanomat also noted that due to melting snow and ice, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has issued flood warnings. There are risks that the melting snow could cause blockages in stormwater drains.

The flood warnings apply to the regions of: Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme, PIrkanmaa, and Central Finland.