2024/02/13 12:53h
Updated on February 13, 2024 at 12:55 pm
Catalonia has ended its current flu wave after reaching a “basic” level of transmission, according to the latest update from the Catalan Infection Surveillance Information System (Sivic) on Tuesday.
Between February 5 and 11, the influenza incidence rate was 83 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
This indicates a continued decline in incidence in the pediatric population and no increase in influenza B incidence was detected.
Acute respiratory infections (ARI) continue to decrease compared to the previous week, with 550 people affected per 100,000 inhabitants and 44,775 ARI cases registered.
In terms of virus distribution, rhinovirus is the most common (19%), followed by influenza (14.9%), human coronavirus (9.7%), RSV (4.8%), metapneumovirus (4.5%) and SARS-CoV -2 (3%).
In the pediatric population, positive multiple test results showed influenza A virus to be the most circulating virus (19.3%), followed by adenovirus (5.6%) and RSV (3%).
RSV records a “slight decrease” with an estimated trend of 27 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
As a result, still below baseline levels, the wave of the epidemic has ended and cases of pneumonia diagnosed in primary care maintain a “clear downward trend”.
On the other hand, 3,687 cases of strep pharyngitis (35.6% of total pharyngitis) and 375 cases of scarlet fever have been recorded.
As a result, the incidence of streptococcal pharyngitis (47 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) and scarlet fever (5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) continues to rise, and the “second wave of epidemics caused by Streptococcus pyogenes” persists.
Coronavirus disease
The estimated incidence of Covid-19 is at a low level, at 21 cases per 100,000 residents, and associated hospital admissions are also falling.
Specifically, 246 Covid-19 patients were admitted to regular beds, 50 fewer than the previous week, and 7 were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), one less than the previous week.
The proportion of emergency department consultations and admissions also remained within the expected range.
In week 4, the Covid-19 JN.1 variant “remained clearly dominant” (accounting for 73% of samples).
Vaccination
Covid-19 vaccination coverage is 61% for vulnerable people over the age of 80 and 48% for those aged 70 to 79.
Influenza coverage is higher in these age groups than Covid-19, at 68% and 55% respectively.