The limit of 37 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was exceeded. There are seven “keys” to this different year – in Spain and in Europe.
The flu is also spreading in Spain. This Thursday, the neighboring country became under a flu epidemic phase.
The most recent from the Carlos III Health Institute shows that the rate of flu symptoms rose from 35.2 to 40.1 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants.
Spain is now under a flu epidemic because the threshold for this designation is 37 cases per 100,000 inhabitants; a limit that was already exceeded, back in November.
The estimated total incidence of flu — an indicator that involves other variables, not just the rate of symptoms — skyrocketed to 112.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, well up from 80.5 last week.
And forecasts indicate that the rate will continue to rise sharply over the next few weeks.
This epidemic phase of the flu in Spain is in line with recent findings from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control: this autumn, flu cases are increasing in an unusual and early way with a new strain.
Compared to previous years, cases are emerging three to four weeks earlier and circulation is being driven by a new strain of influenza A (H3N2), subtype K.
It is precisely this new strain that is also emerging.
The newspaper summarizes the seven “keys” to this H3N2 viruswhich is arriving earlier and with mutations.
As already mentioned, the virus is an early riser and is different; There are still no clear conclusions about whether it is more serious but, as it is different, the flu waves are expected to be larger and more intense.
Vaccines are not as effective against H3N2; the virus began to be registered about a month ago in Spain; The authorities’ priority, in the list of recommendations, is to vaccinate.
Finally, the peak in Spain should also arrive earlier, probably around Christmas (usually at the end of January or the beginning of February).
