The flu incidence rate in Andalucia continues to worsen after the region breached epidemic levels last week, new figures show.
The current flu rate stands at 38.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, around five points higher than the previous week, according to the Andalusian Health Ministry, lead by Antonio Sanz.
The Junta has recommended the use of face masks in hospitals and health centres, many of which have seen waiting rooms fill up with patients reporting general malaise, fever and sore throats.
Despite the rising incidence of flu, however, the rate of primary care consultations fell during the week of December 8 to 14, according to the same data. During that period, 281.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded, compared with 347.7 the previous week.
Health officials have urged caution when interpreting this decline, however, noting that it coincided with a public holiday and a doctors’ strike, both of which likely reduced attendance figures.
Despite this, Andalucia remains firmly in the ascending phase of the flu epidemic, with incidence exceeding the seasonal baseline threshold of 20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for the second consecutive week.
The K variant wreaks havoc
One of the main concerns this flu season is the emergence of a less common variant circulating in Spain, leaving much of the population with low immunity, experts warn.
The dominant strain this year is H3N2, specifically a subtype known as the K variant. There are three main types of flu virus – H3N2, H1N1 and B – but the K variant has been relatively rare in Spain until now.
It was first detected with greater intensity in Australia, in the southern hemisphere, and is now following a similar pattern in the northern hemisphere. According to specialists, this helps explain why the flu season has started earlier than usual and may also last longer than last year.
In response, health authorities are urging people to get vaccinated. This year’s flu vaccination campaign began on September 30, initially targeting children aged six to 59 months, pregnant women and teachers of children under five.
Officials say that although weekly vaccination numbers typically fall as the season progresses, the decline has been less pronounced than in previous years, with more doses administered than last winter for several consecutive weeks, even before flu cases began to surge.
Hospitals under pressure
According to nursing staff consulted by local media, emergency departments at hospitals such as Hospital de Valme (Cadiz) have become ‘saturated’ due to the seasonal surge in cases.
They report that patient numbers have increased sharply in recent days, with additional observation areas temporarily set up in critical care zones not designed for that purpose.
The Andalusian Health Service (SAS), however, maintains that hospitals across the region – including those in Sevilla province – are experiencing emergency demand within normal parameters for this time of year, with daily fluctuations managed through existing high-attendance contingency plans.
Meanwhile, the Satse nursing union issued a statement earlier this week warning of overcrowding at Hospital de Valme, alleging that patients are being treated in corridors and waiting rooms under what it described as undignified conditions, while nursing staff work under extreme pressure.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
