Flu cases at Einstein go from 2 to 1,542 in one month

In one month, cases of influenza A and B in the units of Hospital Albert Einstein in São Paulo increased from 2 to 1,542. In the first half of November, there were only two of the influenza B and none of the A. In the first half of December, there were 70 of the B and 1,472 of the A.

According to hospital data, the increase began in the second half of November, when cases of influenza A rose to 63 and began to lead the positive results of tests. In the same period, influenza B totaled eight cases.

According to infectologists who are in charge of testing services in the city of São Paulo, it is the influenza A H3N2 virus, the same one associated with the flu epidemic in Rio de Janeiro. It is causing an increase in attendance at public and private hospitals. At least five states in the country are already facing an outbreak of flu.

“We are in an H3N2 epidemic, I have no doubts about that. In the office, I am treating several cases, my daughter had it, several of her friends had it,” he told the leaf infectologist Nancy Bellei, professor at Unifesp and coordinator of testing at Hospital São Paulo.

Between Monday (13) and Tuesday (14), nine people were hospitalized with H3N2 in the hospital. In one week, there are 19 cases of admissions.

At the Hospital Sírio-Libanês, between December 1st and December 13th, 160 patients with influenza A were confirmed. Eight of them required hospitalization.

According to Sírio, influenza A is affecting more adults while other respiratory viruses, such as RSV, enteroviruses and rhinoviruses affect more children, who are responsible for 70% of respiratory infections identified in the hospital.