Influenza A wreaked havoc at the end of the year, with respiratory infections overcrowding hospitals and medical centers. In primary care, seven out of every ten consultations registered this week were related to the influenza virus, which causes pathology that, while common at this time of year, does not always manifest itself so severely.
In fact, Asturias is the autonomous region with the highest hospitalization rates for respiratory infections, with most cases caused by influenza A, which has doubled in the past four weeks, according to the Ministry of Health. Fan. The pandemic has coincided with an increase in coronavirus infections due to the greater social interaction inherent to the Christmas holiday, causing pressure on health care to overwhelm emergency services in the most densely populated health regions.
Current epidemiological situation
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Seven out of every 10 visits to health centers are for influenza A.Doctors say this year’s symptoms are “very strong”, with more fever, muscle aches, headaches and stomach symptoms than usual
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A 40% increase in consultative care activities related to respiratory illnesses (mainly influenza) was registered in the primary care sector.
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Emergency services, particularly UCA, experienced a record week, treating more than 2,200 patients.
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Asturias ended the year as the autonomous region with the highest hospitalization rate for respiratory infections.
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The health department has reduced surgical activity to avoid overwhelming hospitals and expanded flu vaccinations.
Primary care doctors guarantee this. Mainly due to influenza A (the main type this winter), health center activity has increased by about 40%. “The flu comes with a vengeance, the fever is much higher than in previous years, and it comes in two phases. Just when things seem to be improving, you then feel bad again for the next three or four days, which can be unsettling for patients,” they explained. They added: “But unless symptoms worsen or last longer, fatigue occurs or fever persists, there is no reason to panic.”
Collecting signatures for primary care ‘call center’
Primary care professionals are ending the year the same way they started the year: overwhelmed with care and manicure needs from the Department of Health. The latest controversy in 2023 is due to the decision to once again establish a call center in the Asturian public health system to solve the problem of phone paralysis that occurred in some health centers. The issue has led the Professional Medical Alliance (Simpa) to collect signatures via the digital platform change.org calling for the “immediate closure” of the said switchboard.
Simpa’s head of primary care criticized: “The use of external devices is ineffective and inefficient, has no relevance to the field of basic hygiene and ignores the functionality and specificity of each device.” They even described it as “unacceptable.” Urgent The situation is also managed through a “switchboard or office not associated with the health centre.” In just 36 hours, more than a hundred people took this stand.
The ministry used call centers to respond to a flood of patient complaints, and in some cases patients had to make dozens of calls over several days to reach their medical centers. Doctors urge those responsible for public health in Asturias to act amid a lack of coordination and not promote a system that “more saturates the agenda”. Salud plans to hold a meeting next week to try to reverse the controversy.
Influenza A is known to be “coming with a vengeance” this winter in hospitals in Asturias, where admissions for respiratory infections and pneumonia have soared. Specifically, at the emergency services of the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA), “it has been the worst week in history”, with the number of patients exceeding all records. The Asturias Public Health Headquarters dealt with more than 2,200 emergencies between Monday and Friday, with a peak of 500 on Tuesday. “We’re at capacity,” the staff member said.
In the week before Christmas Eve, patients admitted through the emergency department were waiting on hospital floors for up to six hours for a room. The Ministry of Health has reduced scheduled surgical activity, which, according to doctors, is “currently reduced to a minimum” to avoid overwhelming hospitals where care needs are greatest. Additionally, HUCA plans to augment emergency services with additional guards in the coming days. “With so many people, we need more people than usual,” a hospital source noted.
In view of this epidemiological situation, the Asturian health authorities have decided to expand the vaccination campaign, which was scheduled to end on Friday, until the influenza virus weakens. The campaign targets people over 60, patients with chronic diseases, immunosuppressed patients, pregnant women and, this year, smokers and children aged 6 months to 5 years.
Nearly 240,000 people in Asturias have been vaccinated against the seasonal flu so far, a figure that is a far cry from the 514,000 doses purchased by the Principality’s Health Service (Sespa), which insists on recommending vaccination for high-risk groups Doctors remember that prevention doesn’t stop people from getting the flu, but it does reduce circulating viral load and the severity of the infectious process.
HUCA, no antiviral drugs
This is crucial at a time like this, when the dominant strain exhibits more severe symptoms, leading to high rates of severe cases and hospital admissions. The HUCA Pharmacy does not have antiviral medications that are commonly prescribed (such as to transplant patients) to prevent flu infections from getting worse. Families were forced to buy the drug at pharmacies outside the hospital so that medical staff could give it to the patient while he was in the hospital.