Hospitalization influenza Spain fell more than 30% As local epidemics slow, but infection rates of this and other respiratory viruses remain high among vulnerable populations and the elderly, that’s why experts are urging us not to let down our guard in the face of an outbreak. nursing overload This affects not only Spain but also other European countries.
The Spanish flu epidemic is declining, with cases diagnosed in primary care accumulating for two weeks in a row, a reference figure for measuring the scale of the flu wave, which has begun to move to hospitals, according to the latest reports from health systems. Surveillance for Acute Respiratory Infections (Sivira), by Card Data released by Los Angeles III Institute of Health is from January 8 to 14.
However, experts and medical associations such as the Spanish Society of General Practitioners and Family Doctors (SEMG) are calling for caution as the number of hospital admissions for influenza and other respiratory viruses has fallen despite a decline in patients with common illnesses. They continue to put pressure on the system Healthy, they’ll hold on for a few more weeks.
exactly This situation is typical not only of Spain but also of European contexts.As the World Health Organization (WHO) warned this week, a confluence of respiratory viruses is complicating the situation in hospitals this winter.
Data released this week showed that hospitalizations due to influenza increased by 58% in the first 15 days of the year in Europe, and admissions to intensive care units increased by 21%, with a greater impact on people over 65 years old. children, leading the World Health Organization to ask European health systems to prepare for an eventual increase in cases in the coming weeks.
Flu shows signs of truce in Spain
In Spain, the number of hospital admissions fell last week from 14.9 to 10.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, or just over 30%, a trend also recorded in hospitalizations of people over 79 years old, which fell slightly but reached the level due to With the above-mentioned ratio of residents, there are nearly 80 cases.
As for all respiratory diseases in hospitals, the global incidence rate fell to 28.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the second week of January (35.2 cases in the previous week), with adults aged over 79 again the group with the highest number of cases admitted (221 cases) ), and persons under one year of age (120).
Emergencies, even during peak times
Spain’s Society for Emergencies and Emergencies (SEMES) said this week that flu records and overall declines in respiratory illnesses were not necessarily decisive as they could rebound again in the coming weeks, bearing in mind that although they did not, emergency services The situation in the room was not normalized or controlled.
and the Society for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (SEIMC) Complications are expected for several more weeks HospitalWhile he was relieved about the reduced revenue, he noted that the situation at the community level was to be expected, according to the World Health Organization.
WHO reiterates usefulness of masks
The World Health Organization believes that flu records continue to increase across Europe, while covid-19 records, although declining, remain high, which is why it maintains the recommendation to use masks in health centers as “strongly recommended”.