Coronavirus: Increase in positiveness, remains above the usual for flu

A small increase was presented to the community as well as to the respiratory sytem – RSV, according to the weekly report of the EOPI for the week 11-17 March. Unlike coronavirus and RSV virus, there has been a decrease in the positiveness for influenza, but it remains more than 10% (seasonal onset limit for epidemic influenza activity in ECDC). The number of flu cases per 1,000 visits showed a decrease compared to last week. Severe Acute Respiratory Infection – SARI (irrespective of pathogen) The number of SARI cases per 1,000 visits remained stable over the previous week. Coronavirus Positiveness in all samples tested showed little increase compared to the previous week. The number of imports showed a 46% decrease compared to the average weekly number of imports in the previous 4 weeks and was lower than the number of imports in the respective week of 2023. The number of new intubations showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of new intubations over the previous 4 weeks and was lower than the number of intubations in the corresponding week of 2023. The number of patients infected with COVID-19 intubated is 13. 8 deaths with a median age of 85 years were recorded (range 79-93 years). The number of deaths showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of deaths in the previous 4 weeks and was lower than the number of deaths in the respective week of 2023. The most frequent sub-variant of BA.2 remains JN.1. Viral load surveillance in urban sewage showed a decrease in SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation in 5 of the 10 areas checked. Flu virus The positiveness for influenza in the community (sentinel network) remains above 10% (seasonal ECDC influenza epidemic activity) and showed a decrease compared to the previous week. A new serious case with ICU hospitalisation was recorded and a new death by laboratory confirmed flu. A total of 133 people with laboratory confirmed influenza in ICU have been treated since the influenza surveillance authority and 65 deaths from laboratory confirmed influenza were recorded. 680 influenza strains (derived from Sentinel community samples, SARI surveillance samples and non-supervisory hospital samples) of which 531 (78%) were type A and 149 (22%) type B. Overall, have been subtyped in the two influenza Reference Centres 509 Type A strains. 471 (92.5%) belonged to subtype A(H1)pdm09 and 38 (7.5%) to subtype A(H3). Respiratory sympathetic virus – RSV The positive RSV showed a slight increase compared to last week in the community (Sentinel PHY network), and a decrease in hospitals (Sari surveillance network).