In several regions of the country, hospitals are experiencing an unusual increase in the number of admissions for respiratory diseases, pushing them to their occupancy limits and highlighting the difficulties in providing rapid care to both regular patients and patients with decompensation. As media reported, the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) warned that this increase is closely linked to the spread of the K variant of influenza A, which is accelerating the rate of transmission and leading to a significant increase in health pressure.
According to SEMES, the progression of the flu epidemic in Spain is mainly due to the spread of this specific variant. The vice president of the society, Javier Millán, pointed out to the media that although the K variant will not generally lead to more serious cases, it is contributing to a 30% increase in the influx of people with acute respiratory infections (ARI) to emergency services, without having yet reached the peak of the outbreak. Medical authorities said the average incidence is over 600 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and in some areas it is even above 1,600 per 100,000 inhabitants. The most vulnerable to these complications are the elderly, immunocompromised patients and patients with oncohematological or chronic diseases, especially cardiac and respiratory diseases.
The media pointed out that the complications caused by the combination of respiratory viruses led to an increase in hospitalizations corresponding to decompensation symptoms in patients with pre-existing medical conditions. The hospitalization rate for respiratory diseases is now 15 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which means higher utilization and strain on hospital resources. Of these admissions, 26 percent are due to influenza A, two percent to illnesses related to Covid-19 and four percent to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Detailed analysis of the figures shows that in several health centers activity could exceed the usual influx of patients by up to 20 percent, according to data provided by the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine and cited by the media. The numbers vary depending on the autonomous community: Catalonia has recorded an incidence of 164 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last five weeks, with the K variant of the AH3N2 subtype predominant, accounting for 58.3 percent of the cases detected. In Murcia, the incidence of influenza increased by 110 percent in the last week studied, while in Navarre the K variant of the H3N2 flu causes 116 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, especially among minors and adolescents. Cantabria is also seeing an increase in influenza A and H3N2, and the Valencian Community reports a 10 percent increase in the incidence of the disease.
Faced with this scenario, Javier Millán called for the implementation of emergency plans that allow for the reinforcement of emergency and emergency teams, with the aim of avoiding overloading services and maintaining the overall responsiveness of the health system, the media explained. The Vice President of SEMES also emphasized the need to constantly monitor hospital occupancy, which would favor the availability of beds for urgent admissions and allow for faster patient management. This would facilitate the transfer of patients from the emergency room and shorten the waiting time for a hospital bed to be available.
Emergency doctors have urged the population to step up prevention measures because most respiratory viruses, including influenza A, are transmitted primarily through the air, through droplets expelled when coughing, sneezing or speaking. SEMES reported that these droplets can remain on hands or surfaces or spread into the environment, making it easier to become infected by touching the eyes, nose or mouth after interacting with them.
In this situation, experts recommend washing your hands frequently, covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using disposable tissues, and avoiding close contact with people with flu-like symptoms, such as kissing or sharing objects. They also emphasized the need to clean common areas more frequently in households where cases have been reported and to maintain a healthy lifestyle as complementary measures.
In healthcare settings and poorly ventilated places, the use of a mask is advisable for people with flu symptoms, the media said, according to SEMES instructions. Medical center workers, caregivers of influenza patients, and people in direct contact in indoor spaces should follow this recommendation to reduce transmission, especially in situations with crowding or poor ventilation.
Another basic prevention tool is vaccination. The SEMES experts recalled, as published in the media, that the flu vaccination is recommended for adults aged 60 and over; People under 60 at risk; pregnant essential public service workers such as security guards and firefighters; healthcare professionals; smokers; those who are professionally exposed to animals; and children between 6 and 59 months.
Regarding the clinical manifestations, SEMES explained to the media that the most common symptoms are muscle pain, chills, dry cough, fever, headache, sore throat and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. Doctors insist on staying comfortably at home when these signs appear to avoid spreading the virus, as the flu can be transmitted as early as a day before symptoms appear and up to seven days later, with the likelihood of infection being highest in the first three days.
The recommended treatment consists of rest, drinking enough fluids, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, and taking medications to relieve symptoms. In addition, SEMES reminded that the flu is caused by a virus, so antibiotics are neither effective in treating it nor speeding up the healing process. The experts also emphasized the contraindication to the use of aspirin in children and adolescents and confirmed this information through various channels depending on the media.
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