The number of acute respiratory infection cases in Spain has increased by five in three weeks. The epidemic is on the rise, and comprehensive factors are favorable. Increased social interaction during holidays or cold temperatures promotes the spread of the virus. “Cold and dry conditions can also weaken the respiratory tract and promote transmission,” he explains in the book. Monday at RAC1 Robert Güeri, chief of infectious diseases at Del Mar Hospital.
The infectious disease expert urged the public “in the face of the resurgence of influenza and Covid-19” to follow the advice issued by the Ministry of Health last Tuesday: wear a mask, avoid going to work if you have respiratory symptoms and cover yourself. Nose and mouth. Use your mouth when coughing or sneezing or practice good hand hygiene. Other experts insist on ventilating enclosed spaces. Thousands of people have died from the infection, and thousands more with symptoms may be wondering what virus is causing their ailments.
Faced with virus surge, health services ramp up vaccination efforts
✚ Invalid or not
All season long, and until a few weeks ago, the dominant virus has been rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. Compared to the flu or COVID-19, the symptoms produced by rhinovirus (which may include a stuffy or runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sore or irritated throat, general malaise, and even mild fever) generally do not cause disability and in most cases No medical attention is required. But if symptoms do not improve or if the fever exceeds 38.5 degrees for more than three days, you should see a doctor.
✚ Virus or bacteria?
Bacterial infections sneak into the viral soup. Pharyngitis is one of them, and its symptoms include sore throat, fever, difficulty and pain in swallowing, swollen lymph nodes, clear throat, joint pain or fever, etc. In Catalonia, 4,006 cases of streptococcal pharyngitis (35.9% of total pharyngitis) and 349 cases of scarlet fever have been registered. Unlike viral infections, bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics. Strep throat clears up in 3 to 7 days.
✚ First cousins
Covid-19 and influenza are both respiratory illnesses caused by viruses, in the first case SARS-CoV-2 and in the second case influenza A and B viruses. They all spread in similar ways and cause similar symptoms. Headache, muscle and throat pain, cough and fever are usually present. Sometimes nausea or vomiting, difficulty breathing, and diarrhea. One unique symptom is that, unlike the flu, COVID-19 typically causes an early loss of taste and smell, usually without a runny or stuffy nose. COVID-19 symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2, while flu symptoms usually appear 1 to 4 days after infection. The two diseases differ in their causes, complications in patients, and treatments required, but it is impossible to identify them by symptoms alone, which may be severe, mild, or non-existent in both diseases.
✚ The answer is in the pharmacy
Three years ago, antigen tests to identify the Covid-19 virus were expensive and scarce but crucial to facing family gatherings with confidence. Its use is now completely standardized and common. The combined rapid nasal test currently available for home use costs less than €3 and can detect infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and influenza A and B viruses in less than 10 minutes with almost 100% accuracy. One disease does not solve all problems. Another: COVID-19 and two types of influenza can appear in the same patient at the same time.
✚ respiratory syncytial virus
According to the latest assessment by the Ministry of Health, influenza viruses are the most common in Catalonia (22.6% of samples), followed by rhinovirus (17.9%), SARS-CoV-2 (14.6%) and respiratory syncytial virus (13.2 %). %). A hallmark of RSV symptomatology is wheezing, a high-pitched sound commonly heard during exhalation, and RSV is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in children. In Spain, the group with the highest incidence of acute respiratory infections is children aged 0 to 4 years, with 3,074 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 791 cases in the total population, according to the latest analysis from the Ministry of Health.
✚ Influenza A? Influenza B?
The symptoms are the same, but the severity is different. Influenza A virus is the most common and most harmful because it can cause severe illness. Wild waterfowl are common carriers of the virus, which has spread to humans and caused devastating epidemics throughout history. In contrast, influenza B affects only humans and has milder symptoms because the virus mutates two to three times slower than influenza A, allowing for stronger immunity. Influenza (engulfed by COVID-19) has all but disappeared in the 2020-21 season, while the 2021-22 season has a lower incidence rate, leading to fewer antibodies in the population. Spain’s incidence rate has been on an upward trend for six consecutive weeks.
✚ prevention
Vaccines are a great way to prevent infection or severe respiratory infections. However, many patients are late for vaccination. Children under 1 and those over 80 have the highest rates of hospitalization for these illnesses, according to the Ministry of Health. These are the people who show signs of immunity. In Catalonia, 333 of the 544 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are over 70 years old. The coronavirus vaccination rate for people over 80 is 58% and the flu vaccination rate is 65%.
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