2024-01-04 17:18:07
Given the increase in flu, covid and other respiratory diseases, family doctors have asked for the mandatory mask to be returned to health centers. The flu continues to rise and in one week the percentage of positive cases almost doubles, according to the latest data.
Masks/EFE/Luis Tejido
The Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) has proposed this Thursday to recover the use of the mandatory mask in Primary Care centers in order to reduce the spread of flu, covid and other respiratory diseases.
In a press release, the semFYC has advocated tightening protection measures to prevent the transmission of respiratory infection viruses to people with multiple pathologies and chronic patients, and has opted to once again establish separation spaces in health centers, dispensing of hydroalcoholic gels and ventilation measures for waiting rooms.
In addition, they have asked the health authorities to raise awareness among the population about proper use of healthcare services and not to go to them if medical attention is not required to avoid saturation of the centers in the face of the new rebound, which estimates the incidence (in the week of December 18 to 24) in 908 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Although a rebound in cases of Covid, influenza A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has been detected, the semFYC has specified that coinfection is very rare.
However, family doctors have warned, once again, of a possible worsening of the situation after the celebration of the Three Kings’ Day and with the return to classes, although they have recalled that the current data was predictable and is similar to the pre-pandemic era.
Also today, the Federation of Associations in Defense of Public Health (FADSP) has asked to recover the use of the mandatory mask in health centers to stop the rise in the incidence of influenza A, Covid-19 and bronchiolitis and has also considered doing so in public transport.
The flu continues to rise
The incidence of flu continues to rise and circulates more intensely than other respiratory viruses, with a positivity percentage in the last week of December of 46%, practically double that of the previous week, when it was 27%.
According to the latest report from the Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System (SiVIRA) of the Carlos III Health Instituteupdated this Thursday, the flu continues to rise in Primary Care consultations in all age groups while the hospitalization rate in week 52 (from December 25 to 31) is 9.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants , 3.6 points more than the previous week, and rising since the end of October.
On the other hand, Covid-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection tends to stabilize in Primary Care, although they are still on the rise in the hospital setting, in the group of those over 80 years of age for Covid-19 and those under one year in the case of RSV.
Influenza A strains hospital emergencies
Acute respiratory infections, specifically influenza A, are returning with a vengeance and are causing an avalanche of patients to go to emergency services, 35% more than a year ago, a percentage that is expected to continue rising until the third week of January when the epidemic peak will be reached.
This photo of saturated emergencies is repeated throughout Spain, according to the first vice president of the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMS)Pascual Piñera, who, in an interview with EFE, highlights that 10% of these patients end up hospitalized and the lack of beds becomes the first problem that hospitals face, “they have nowhere to put the sick.”
“It is not a problem of staff, although they have to be updated, but of beds,” says this professional, head of the Emergency Department at the Reina Sofía university hospital in Murcia, who details that the profile of these patients ranges “from young people with flu pathology who attend to the emergency room because the health center delays their appointments and people over 80 years of age with pneumonia due to the flu end up being admitted and some die.”
EFE/Javier Tovar
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