The Flu Pandemic Begins to De-escalate in Alicante

The flu epidemic has begun its de-escalation in the province of Alicante. After weeks of relentless surge, with weekly growth peaks of up to 70%, the number of cases has started to decline, albeit very slightly. The infection rate recorded in the fifth week of the year (27th January to 2nd February) is 351 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, representing a 6% decrease compared to the previous week.

These figures are drawn from the Respiratory Infections Surveillance System - Valencian Community (SiVIRA-CV), whose latest update also shows a slight drop in the total number of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) to 1,080 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a hundred fewer than the previous week. The figure remains well above the national average, which stands at 814.

The ARI indicator jointly considers cases of flu, COVID-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The latter has seen a significant increase of 53% compared to the last update, setting the current rate at 95 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

What is also rising are the severe cases requiring hospital admission. Despite a slight decrease in the last update, they have now risen again, from 21.3 to 22.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The figure is slightly above the national average (20.2).

The SiVIRA-CV bulletin also determines that the Vega Baja region is the most affected by ARI, with a case rate of between 1,400 and 1,600. No other area in the Community presents these figures.