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The eighth wave of covids and the unprecedented mix of coronaviruses, flu and other cold viruses


  • “It’s going to be a different wave and we need to be vigilant so it doesn’t cause us problems,” says Joan Carles March


  • We have practically no cases for two years, children have no immunity and we do not know how the mixture of flu and covid will work, experts warn


  • “In Australia and Argentina they have had an influence as before, so it is foreseeable that the same thing will happen in Spain and in Europe”, says Joan Caylá

Infections are increasing in Spain. They’ve been doing this for the past two weeks. Are we facing a new wave? It is still early to be sure, but if the trend continues like this, the answer is yes, say the specialists consulted by NIUS. A Eighth wave of epidemic concern because this time SARS-CoV-2 could arrive accompanied or coincide with other respiratory viruses such as influenza.

An unprecedented mix for a part of the population, without previous defenses and immunity against these pathogens. During the more than two years of the pandemic, face masks and personal protective measures such as social distancing, ventilation, or hand washing have kept these viruses at bay, but the situation has changed. Now wearing masks is an exception that has been maintained, for the moment, only in public transport, pharmacies and social health centers. In addition, indoor ventilation and CO2 control, with the government’s energy saving measures, can be a pipe dream.

Giovanna Cayla, a member of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE), has little doubt that we are already at the beginning of the eighth wave, especially taking into account the example of neighboring countries, where there are more cases than in Spain, which only controls the people over the age of 60. The increase in incidence in Germany, France and Portugal is evident. Also, “statistically it is what it touches”, assures the specialist. If you look back, you see that a new wave appears every three or four months, so it would be time. “The pity is that the incidence is higher than a year ago and the ideal is that we would have started this eighth wave with fewer infections.”

covid incidenceourworldindata.org

Covid and flu: an unprecedented mix

Joan Carlos March, a professor at the Andalusian School of Public Health, is not so sure that the eighth wave is already beginning. “After two years of the pandemic, it is difficult to say what we have right now,” explains the specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. It is a moment of ascent where cases increase by about 10% per week and “as colder the situation can get complicated”, he warns. In any case, what concerns March most is the mix of respiratory viruses because “there will be more flu” and it is not known what the mix of covid and flu will be. “It will be a different wave and we have to be vigilant so that it doesn’t cause us problems.” “We have practically no cases for two years, children have no immunity and we do not know how the mixture of influenza and covid will act, we do not know if it will be more serious; given the history of other countries in the southern hemisphere, it doesn’t seem like it, but we don’t know, “she insists.

Quique Bassat Furthermore, he does not dare to say whether or not this is the beginning of a new wave of pandemic, but “the viruses typical of colder temperatures begin to arrive and coronavirus cases also begin to increase”, observes the epidemiologist and researcher by ISGlobal. “My impression is that in the coming weeks the cases will continue to rise, as they are doing now, but calmly.with little serious clinical significance and with non-worrying increases in intensive care and hospital employment “.

In the same line, Ignazio Rosell, professor at the University of Valladolid of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, is “unable” to make a prognosis, even if – let us remember – autumn is virus time. There will be more covid-19, more flu, and more respiratory viruses on the streets and hospitals, he predicts.

50 deaths a week

«What we already know – underlines Caylà – is that in the southern hemisphere, where they have already spent the winter, the flu epidemic was similar to that before the pandemic. In Australia and Argentina they have had an influence as before, so it is foreseeable that the same thing will happen in Spain and in Europe “. The most likely, the epidemiologist points out, is that there will be a wave of covids first, as influenza in Spain always usually occurs in December and January. It may be a little early, in November or December, and the two waves are feared to coincide, he acknowledges.

“Will it be a more sustainable winter for the health system than the previous two? Hopefully,” hopes Rosell. According to Caylà, the important thing is to minimize the impact of covid and flu as much as possible. “If someone has covid, they should stay at home and wear a mask, as well as wear a face mask if there are a lot of people. The current protocol says you can go to work, although many of us disagree because the new variants are very contagious.. It is advisable to stay at home, as the President of the Government did “, explains the epidemiologist. In this sense, the expert invites you to learn from Asian countries and how they use the mask to avoid getting infected. Especially because we must not forget, he says the specialist, that there are still more than 50 people dying from covid per week.

For all these reasons, experts point out, it is important to be vigilant, monitor the situation and continue with the vaccination campaign against covid and influenza. Although there are also specialists such as Joan Carles March who, before inoculating a fourth dose, would be in favor of carrying out an analysis to find out what the patient’s immunity is and thus determine if a new booster injection is needed.

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