While health authorities in general defend that the situation is under control, that the system is supporting the epidemic wave of respiratory viruses, doctors, unions or patient associations denounce saturation of emergency services and warn that the situation is going to worsen.
Who else knows someone affected by the flu and there is a certain psychosis in the air (the week of December 18 to 25, sales of antigen tests in Spanish pharmacies tripled compared to last year, according to the consulting firm Iqvia), but the authorities insist, figures in hand, that the situation is not exceptional. Indeed, the epidemiological point is lower than that of the same dates in 2022, although it is also true that the wave has been rising rapidly for seven weeks and a turning point is not clearly visible.
While declaring themselves prepared, the autonomies have begun to react by demanding caution from citizens, disseminating advice to prevent the spread of viruses or, like Madrid, reinforcing the detection system… The Xunta de Galicia has decided to postpone activities non-priority health care and, since yesterday and for at least 15 days, it recommends the use of the mask generally in all primary care centers and hospitals, where contingency plans have been activated. In Andalusia, starting Monday, an appointment will not be required to vaccinate against the flu for children from 6 months to 5 years old.
Although most of the autonomies recognize notable increases in healthcare pressure (on Tuesday the hospitals of Castilla-La Mancha set their daily record, with more than 4,000 emergencies), none have declared saturation or collapse.
“There is no crystal ball” to know with certainty what will happen in the coming weeks, said Óscar Zurriaga, president of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology. Other professionals consulted assure that many health centers are at their limit and predict an extraordinarily complicated month of January, with the circulation of respiratory viruses encouraged by the interactions of the holidays, the cold and lower rates of vaccination coverage.
Mireia Puig, president of the Catalan Society of Emergency Medicine, stated in statements to Efe that activity in Catalan health centers is higher than in the years prior to the pandemic. According to her calculations, the number of emergencies attended by hospitals increased by 20% in less than a week, from December 23 to 28. Although the staffing on these dates is normal, or even higher due to the reinforcements, “it is falling short because there is a lot of patients coming in.” Puig, head of the emergency service at the Sant Pau hospital, estimates that all the conditions are in place for the number of infections to continue to rise and, with it, the increase in pressure on the health system.
In Catalonia, last Wednesday the Department of Health recommended “responsibility and prudence with the fragile population”, assured that it has “all the assistance devices prepared to respond to the increase in the circulation of respiratory viruses” and transmitted a “message of tranquility and “calms the citizens.” Next Tuesday, January 2, Salut will issue a new statement on the epidemic situation.
