In the fifth week of this year, from January 29 to February 4, the incidence rate of these diseases was 468.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 516.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants the previous week.
That week was the second consecutive week of decline, so the Basque government’s Ministry of Health issued a decree that the use of masks in health centers in the Basque region would no longer be mandatory as of February 2 last year.
The latest acute respiratory infection (ARI) surveillance report shows that Álava has the lowest incidence rate, with 352 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Vizcaya (486.2 cases) and Gipuzcoa province (493.3 cases).
In terms of age groups, the incidence rate was highest in the 0 to 4 year old group, with 2,043.7 cases; followed by the 5 to 14 year old group, with 865.2 cases. Compared with the previous week, the rates of the last group increased again, while the rates of the remaining groups decreased.
The number of severe acute respiratory infection cases requiring hospitalization was 15.2 per 100,000 inhabitants (previous week: 15.9).
Influenza cases detected in primary care fell again to 26.6 from 41.1 the previous week, while bronchiolitis cases in children under two years increased from 197.6 the previous week to 256.5. Health conditions determine the usual increase in volatility that follows the peak of an epidemic.
The incidence rate of the new coronavirus among people aged 60 and over was 11.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which was significantly lower than the 26.6 cases in the previous week.
Between January 29 and February 4, a total of 42 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, a decrease of three from the fourth week of this year.Effie