Respiratory infections increase emergency care at Coimbra Pediatrics

Respiratory infections among young people increased by 17% in the emergency departments of the Coimbra Pediatric Hospital in the last week, and by 8% in primary health care at health centers in this region. The data refer to the comparison of the week of January 13 to 19 with the previous week, the latest available figures, released yesterday, within the scope of the Contingency Plan for the Seasonal Health Response for this winter. This is a reflection of the increase in respiratory infections in people under 18, where, despite influenza B still being the majority, “opportunistic testing confirms a progression of influenza A cases”, revealed yesterday the administration of the Coimbra Local Health Unit (ULS).

Thus, the Pediatric Hospital recorded, between January 13 and 19, a total of 1,265 emergency episodes (188 more than the previous week, most of them due to respiratory infection), almost representing half of the adult emergencies at the Coimbra University Hospitals (HUC), which were 2,639.

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