Antonio Oliver

Antonio Oliver, jefe del Servicio de Microbiología del Hospital Universitario Son Espases. Foto: hospitalsonespases.es.

The head of the Microbiology Service of the University Hospital of Son Espases, Dr. Antonio Oliver, explained that there are already more admissions for influenza than for coronavirus, so that the COVID “is no longer the only or the first cause of acute respiratory infection”, which is “a very important change compared to the last two years,” said the doctor.

The hospital is “at maximum” because it is “respiratory virus season, but taking into account the sum of all”, he recalled. At hospital level “there are very few admissions”, and in those due to respiratory infection, “there is more flu than COVID”.

Omicron, the predominant variant

“For the past year, all that has been circulating is Omicron,” Oliver described. This variant has evolved into different sub-variants. “Cerverus”, for example, diagnosed in 80 to 90 % of cases, or “Kraken”, which represents 2 % of all cases detected “since the last week” of 2022.

Infections by this strain “do not seem to have increased explosively in the last two or three weeks”, although the forecast is that they will increase in the following weeks due to its greater transmissibility.

The doctor recalled the importance of “keeping up to date” with booster doses, especially for the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly. The use of masks in enclosed or crowded outdoor areas is also a recommendation to be followed to avoid contagion.