The Department of Health has sent to the health departments of the Valencian Community, including the ten of the province of Alicante, an instruction from the General Directorate of Public Health that establishes the recommendation of the use of masks in health facilities dependent on the Generalitat in certain cases – especially in shared spaces and emergencies of health centers and hospitals – as a preventive measure against the possible rebound in respiratory virus infection.
A measure that is agreed upon despite the fact that the Valencian Community is currently still in a low-level epidemic situation, reaching 787.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, almost 50 points more in a week (the Spanish average is 479.3). The flu is already on the rise in the rest of the country and also in our territory, this year ahead of previous years and with a very contagious strain that threatens to saturate the emergency room sooner than usual. In the province it is in January, at the conclusion of the Christmas holidays, when the peak usually occurs.
Serious cases and admissions of those over 85 years of age increase, with the health areas of the Alicante coast at orange level
The triple
The flu incidence curve in the Valencian Community has grown by 231.58% so far this month, going from 13.3 cases per 100,000 people with which November started (first week) to 44.1 cases in the third week of the month. This means that they have tripled, while covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of bronchiolitis, continue to decline.
Thus, it emerges from the latest report of the Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System of the Valencian Community (SiVIRA) of the Ministry of Health, in the 47th week of the year (from November 17 to 23).
Health now recommends using masks in healthcare spaces / INFORMATION
Children under 4 years of age remain the population group with the highest number of respiratory virus infections in general (flu, covid, bronchiolitis, enterovirus, adenovirus, bocavirus), reaching 3,434.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. As for the over 85 years old, The incidence is below the average but they are the ones with the most serious cases, with 85.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants that end in hospitalization. In the population between 65 and 85 years old and in children under four it is 29.6 cases, and in the rest of the ages the incidence is very low.
One of the news in this week's respiratory infections bulletin is the increase in serious cases of flu. A week ago they were 1.1 per 100,000 inhabitants and it has doubled to reach 2.6 points, a figure that is not alarming yet.
By health areas, the map starts to turn orange. This is the case of the entire coastal area except Marina Alta and Torrevieja, where cases reach a thousand per 100,000 people. In the rest of the province the situation is somewhat better, with a maximum of 800 cases.
Surveillance in Primary Care, with the map already at orange level in different parts of the province of Alicante / INFORMATION / 74
Profiles
Regarding Health instructions, this department considers it pertinent to establish the recommendation of the use of surgical masks by symptomatic people when in shared spaces, professionals who care for symptomatic cases as well as all people, both healthcare personnel and patients and companions, in vulnerable areas such as chemotherapy treatment rooms, transplant units, intensive care units and similar, as well as in hospital and primary care emergencies.
Likewise, the document adds that these measures may be extended to areas where patients and families if the center management so establishes, in accordance with its risk assessment and according to the action plan of each center. Therefore, depending on the characteristics and capacity of the center, internal circuits to control the transmission of respiratory viruses, use of masks and care continuity measures will be applied, based on the criteria of the Preventive Medicine Service.
Active recruitment for vaccination
The Ministry of Health highlights that a system of sending SMS messages to remind priority groups of their availability for appointments for vaccination against flu and covid, and the immunization of people at risk in specific environments such as residences, schools, special education centers and day centers.
Increased incidence
These measures are included in the Contingency Plan for increases in the incidence of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), which has also already been sent to all health departments. This plan defines a series of strategies to guarantee the continuity of health care during seasonal epidemics of respiratory viruses, including Public Health recommendations, as well as organizational and operational measures at the Primary and Hospital Care level, as reported by Health.
The main objective of this plan is to define recommendations and actions associated with risk scenarios established based on transmissibility data and the characteristics and operational capacities of the health centers of the Valencian Health System.
Surveillance of respiratory viruses in hospitals / INFORMATION
Vaccination
The Contingency Plan also establishes that vaccination against influenza and other respiratory viruses continues to be “a cornerstone” for the prevention of these infections. In this sense, the Ministry of Health recalls that health centers have been vaccinating the entire population against flu and covid-19 since November 3, after having started vaccination among the highest risk groups, during the first month of the campaign.
In this sense, the Ministry of Health highlights that it has reinforced the vaccination circuits in all health departments and has facilitated appointments digitally, by extending hours in Primary Care.
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