A survey of hospitals shows that it is indeed very busy there. There is not only the flu, but there are also other respiratory infections, such as corona and RSV. The various viruses that circulate not only make patients sick, but also healthcare staff. In UZ Leuven, which is structurally understaffed, non-urgent care already has to be postponed. Currently, only 70 percent of the beds can be used.
“In December it was especially busy in the children’s department, due to a peak in the number of RSV infections, but since the Christmas holidays a lot of older people have also come in with respiratory infections and there is a lot of flu. We expect a heavy flu season. This, in combination with staff failure, creates enormous pressure,” says Gert Van Assche, chief physician at UZ Leuven.