The number of flu infections has been on the rise for a few weeks now. “We have been in a flu epidemic since the end of last year,” says virologist Steven Van Gucht. He expects the number of infections to increase in the coming weeks, but hopes that the spring break will provide relief. The number of COVID infections has fallen again in recent weeks.
The latest report from Sciensano shows that the incidence of GP consultations for flu-like complaints has increased over the past week to 537 consultations per 100,000 inhabitants. “The epidemic threshold has been exceeded for several weeks,” says van Gucht. “We are at a high level for flu, but I expect the numbers to increase even further in the next two weeks. You can see it clearly: there are a lot of sick people right now.”
Van Gucht expects that the spring break, which starts in a week and a half, will bring about an improvement. Holidays traditionally slow down the spread of the flu virus because there is a general reduction in contacts between people. “I hope that the tide will indeed turn,” said the virologist.
It is striking that the number of COVID infections is on the decline, while there was a flare-up in the number of corona cases in December. According to Van Gucht, COVID infections are currently “at a stable level”. The Sciensano report also shows that the number of RSV infections also remains stable.
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2024-02-01 06:39:49
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