Respiratory infections start to rise in Murcia region, although primary schools are not yet saturated

The Acute Respiratory Infections Surveillance System (ARI) in primary care has found that the number of coronavirus infections has increased by 22.7% in the past week, although this rate (31.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) is still not particularly high. The increase for influenza was even greater, at 31%, although the incidence of this condition remains low at 8 cases per 100,000 people.

Yes, other respiratory viruses that cause bronchitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, or other infections are much more widely circulated. The incidence rate of all respiratory infections was 661 per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase of 1.5% from the previous week. This small increase adds to the increase in the previous seven days (29%).

‘We have noticed an increase’

Jesús Abenza, president of the Society of Family and Community Medicine of Murcia (Smumfyc), explained: “We have noticed an increase in the number of consultations related to upper respiratory tract infections, but there is still no influenza epidemic and there is currently no serious medical overload. .” ). In addition to consultations for banal viral symptoms, “decompensated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or respiratory failure” are also starting to come to the medical center, Abenza said. They are chronically ill and may be affected by any respiratory infection, which can aggravate their condition.

The sentiment is similar during hospital emergencies. «Last weekend we started to notice the arrival of more respiratory virus patients, but not too many. There is no flu, there is no saturation,” explained Pascual Piñera, director of emergency services at Reina Sofia Hospital.

Piñera and Abenza recalled that it was foreseeable that infections would start to surge “in the coming weeks” until the seasonal flu epidemic arrives.

In this sense, there are still several unknowns. On the one hand, there’s how the flu will fare this season and which of the different variants of influenza A or B will dominate. Currently, influenza vaccination campaigns for people over 60 years of age are continuing. The vaccine also continues to be administered to pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases, health care workers and other essential workers and, in a new initiative this year, to smokers.

In addition to influenza, COVID-19 cases are expected to increase in the coming weeks, although the virus has not yet developed its typical seasonal behavior.

Bronchiolitis

What’s most promising this season is the possible effect of liberally administering the drug nirsevimab to newborns to protect them against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the virus that causes most bronchiolitis. Between 80% and 88% of newborns in the region have been vaccinated with this monoclonal antibody. Based on clinical trial results for the drug, such high vaccine coverage should avoid the usual saturation of pediatric emergencies resulting from admissions of infants affected by bronchiolitis.