The winter influenza epidemic ended a month ago, but HUBU management decided to keep the isolation plant (the seventh in Zone H) operational as a precautionary measure against a possible resurgence of spring influenza. This is most important because over the past two years there has been a second peak of infections in March and April, with incidence rates that are typical of the epidemic season and even higher than infection rates during the coldest weeks of the year. Now, according to the latest official information from the council’s epidemiologists, the incidence of influenza, bronchiolitis and coronavirus is very low.
The last inpatient floor in Area H has different characteristics from the other floors, with a specific ventilation system and different pressures to prevent the spread of viruses and other bacteria. It first opened in March 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic began, and didn’t close again until last summer three years later. However, it was prepared for immediate use as part of the hospital’s emergency response plan for acute respiratory infections. So, in light of the flu outbreak last Christmas, it was decided to open in the New Year. And, as official sources confirm, this will continue despite a significant drop in hospitalizations for influenza and other respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis or coronavirus.
In fact, in mid-February, fewer than 20 patients across HUBU were hospitalized due to complications from one of the illnesses, compared with 100 patients hospitalized for the flu alone in mid-January. In addition to this, 50 people are suffering from respiratory syncytial virus (the main cause of bronchiolitis) and coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Emergency plans for respiratory infections are typically activated only during winter, the season when these illnesses are most common. But flu season doesn’t end until May, so Sasir asked hospitals to prepare for a possible rebound; especially since the emergence of SRS-CoV-2 has changed the behavior of other viruses. Thus, after three winters in which there was hardly any influenza, the last two springs were characterized by relatively high incidence rates, especially among children under 5 years of age.