Spain is already immersed in an epidemic of flu. The most common respiratory virus has surpassed for the first time this season, between December 23 and 29, the epidemiological threshold with 41.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, double that of the previous week, when 23.6 cases were registered. Although according to experts, the maximum peak is about to arrive next week, when the Christmas holidays end.
According to data published this Friday by the Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System (SiVIRA) prepared by the National Epidemiology Center, dependent on the Ministry of Health, the majority of cases of this infection belong to the group B and Awhile the covid-19 is having practically no impact this season, since it brings together only 3.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
In this sense, and although the flu rebounds, the set of respiratory infections -flu, covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)- add up 567.1 casesa hundred less than the previous week, when a rebound was recorded with 665.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In the words of SiVIRA, “respiratory infections in Spain have been at a low circulation level since September (week 39).” Regarding bronchitis and bronchiolitis in children under 5 years of age, the rate is 365.1 cases/100,000 hours compared to 537.9 the previous week.
Regarding the flu, SiVIRA indicates that the positivity percentage is 20.1% and there is a flu hospitalization rate of 2.5 cases/100,000 h (0.9 cases/100,000 h in the previous week). “In terms of severity, since the start of the season in week 40/2024, cases hospitalized for flu have presented 25.2% pneumonia, 5.6% ICU admission and 3% fatality,” he specifies. the organism. The incidence of the virus is 114 cases/100,000 h (116 cases/100,000 h in the previous week).
“3% lethality”
As for the rest of the viruses, the percentage of positivity for covid-19 is 1.8% with an incidence of 10.2 cases/100,000 h (12.5 cases/100,000 h in the previous week) and 13.8% for RSV, which has an incidence of 78.3 cases/100,000 h (92.4 cases/100,000 h in the previous week).
In addition, the report published this Friday details that the hospitalization rate for all the viruses observed is 19.6 cases/100,000 hours (16.9 cases/100,000 h in the previous week), with 2.5 cases of flu per 100,000 inhabitants having to be hospitalized. “In terms of severity, since the start of the season in week 40/2024, cases hospitalized for flu have presented 25.2% pneumonia, 5.6% admission to the ICU and 3% lethality“.
Regarding the coronavirusthere is a thospitalization rate of 0.4 cases/100,000 h (0.1 cases/100,000 h in the previous week) and hospitalized cases “present 29.2% pneumonia, 3.8% ICU admission and 6% fatality.” Regarding RSV, there are 5.1 cases/100,000 hours (3.7 cases/100,000 hours in the previous week) in hospitals and they present “16.3% pneumonia, 11.4% admission to the ICU and a 1.5% lethality”.
With an eye on the coming weeks, when there are expected to be more infections, the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG) recommended a few days ago that health services have prepared “contingency plans”. The organization urges the adoption of infection prevention and control measures to reduce transmission as much as possible, especially within health centers or residential centers such as nursing homes.
In the same way, it recommends increase vaccination around these diseases (flu, covid-19, RSV), something especially important in those people “at greater risk of suffering serious illness and Immunoprophylaxis against RSV in infants.” Finally, the organization itself reiterates that “the Christmas holiday season, traditionally associated with meetings, shopping and travel,” may pose an increase in risks to intensify the transmission of the respiratory virus.
Virus after Christmas
In this sense, and according to a study carried out by the Fruit Juice Science Center (FJSC), half of Spaniards believe they will have the flu or some virus respiratory after the Christmas holidays and almost 60% consider that they will be infected these days through contact with friends and family.
The report, prepared with a sample of 2,000 people between 18 and 60 years old, shows that 38% believe that they will be infected when I go back to work by contact with his colleagues; 40% predict that it will be on public transportation; 75% of the total believe that children and adolescents are a very important vector of contagion; and almost 70% of young people believe that they will be infected when they start classes and return to university.
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