The Balearic Islands have been hit by a “quintudemia” – five viruses at once – which risks putting under strain emergency and hospital services.
The term, according to Public Health and Preventive Medicine specialist Joan Carles March, refers to the five viruses circulating in January – flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus, rhinovirus, and COVID-19.
On Monday (January 13) alone, some 1,331 individuals visited primary care emergency services and as of 2pm on Tuesday 119 people were awaiting hospital admission on the islands.
While these illnesses descend on the island on a yearly basis, the cases this winter season are unusually high.
Yet, emergency services are not as overwhelmed as in previous years, as these illnesses are generally not severe.
Flu often lasts for seven to 10 days, with symptoms including fever, chills and fatigue, while RSV is a leading cause of respiratory illness in children with symptoms including breathing difficulty and muscle aches but can lead to severe conditions like bronchiolitis or pneumonia.
Norovirus can last for a couple of days, with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain. Rhinovirus causes the common cold and is generally harmless.
A new strain of COVID-19 has appeared and become the dominant strain in Europe. Noted for its higher transmissibility, it has symptoms similar to the Omicron variant and resembles a flu-like syndrome.
Health services in the archipelago have recommended general hygiene practices including handwashing to reduce transmission and complete vaccination if available.
When asked if hospital beds need to be placed in hallways, the archipelago health service, IB-Salut, said, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin: “Hospitals are dynamic; they adapt to the fluctuations in patient intake, opening beds and hiring professionals according to demand.”
They said that contingency plans are always prepared during the winter season to anticipate such situations, adding that, “on days with a sudden influx of patients, some may need to stay in emergency department bays, where they are cared for by medical staff until they can be transferred to a ward”.
It was revealed last week that hospitals had already opened 80 beds and recruited extra staff to prepare for the onslaught.
“We are opening beds to anticipate the stress…. we are really in an epidemic phase,” warned the Balearic Minister for Health, Manuela García, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.
Several other countries, including India and the United Kingdom, have also reported rising cases of hMPV this winter, as well as other respiratory infections.
