Severe respiratory infections dropped by nearly half

Week 5 results

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health published the results of the fifth week of 2024 of the Valencian Community’s Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System (Sivira). At the state level, the latest published series corresponds to the fourth week, January 22 to 28, with an almost 20% decrease in the serious incidence of influenza, covid 19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the Valencian Health Center Compared with the previous week, there were 829.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Cases fell by 3% between the fourth and fifth weeks of this year, to 25.2

.

VRS, also known as Respiratory syncytial virus, a common viral illness that usually causes mild cold-like symptomsbut it can cause bronchiolitis and other serious lung infections, especially in babies.

However, despite the decrease in incidence, in Sivira state, which reports the evolution of acute respiratory infections in the last two weeks of 2023 and the first four weeks of 2024, For the sixth week in a row, Valencia is the third autonomous region with the highest number of infections influenza, Coronavirus disease and RSV diagnosis Primary care per 100,000 inhabitants.

Influenza overall decreases

Sivira also highlighted that a decrease in influenza, covid 19 and RSV positivity rates was observed in primary care (ARI) and in acute respiratory infection cases leading to hospitalization (SARI). In the fourth week of 2024, he noted, “Influenza activity continues to decline in all autonomous regions”. “Hospitalizations due to influenza, covid 19 and RSV solidify downward trends across all ages”Add to.

It must be remembered that triggering the caseinfluenza and Coronavirus diseaseThey forced the Ministry of Health Reactivation of mandatory mask wearing at health centersPretty much the entire first month of the year, from the 5th to Tuesday, January 30th.

status comparison

In the fourth week of 2024, the national incidence rate of acute respiratory infections dropped to 587.3 cases per 100,000 residents (722.1 cases in the previous week), a decrease of 19%. All autonomy declined

. C. Valencia ranked ninth and suffered the biggest decline, down 20%.. The largest decrease was in Extremadura, which fell by 36.7%; the smallest decrease was in the Balearic Islands, which fell by only 4.3%.

Fewer hospitalizations

If you are hospitalized due to severe respiratory infection (SARI), The incidence rate for the fifth week of the year in the Valencian Community is 15.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a 4% decrease from the previous week. The indicator reached a maximum value of 45.3 in Valencia Hospital in the first week of 2024. so, Hospitalization rates for influenza, covid 19 and RSV reduced by two-thirds in four weeks.

Medical pressure on hospitals is increasing due to lack of staff

At the state level, the hospitalization rate for the fourth week of 2023 fell to 16.4 cases per 100,000 hours (23.7 cases the previous week). By age group, Adults 80 and older have the highest hospitalization rates (107.4 cases/100,000 hours) and children under one year old (86.4 cases).

Entered the emergency room of Lafite Hospital on January 6.

In the fourth week of 2024, the hospitalization rate for severe respiratory infections in Valencia fell by 43% from the previous week to 15.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.It is below the state average, and The fifth lowest in the country.

However, it must be remembered that in the first week of the year respiratory virus hospitalizations tripled in 15 days, with emergency services recording such an influx of patients that the government called Regular flu and Covid 19 vaccinations available without an appointment to protect the health system.