Surge of respiratory infections sees various hospitals activate contingency plans
The first two weeks of 2025 saw more deaths than during the same period in 2022 and 2023, “years marked by the Covid-19 pandemic”, writes Correio da Manhã today.
According to the paper, “the cold, the increase in the number of cases of flu and other respiratory infections, and the decompensation of chronic diseases” are behind the increase in mortality – which does not however refer to 2024: 2024 also saw a high number of deaths during the first fortnight of the New Year, higher even than this year’s tally of 6,051, while 2021, the first New Year in which the pandemic was raging, saw 8,492 deaths in the two week period.
CM then revisits the issue of large numbers of people flooding into hospitals – an average of 16,000 people a day, of which 11% have ‘symptoms of respiratory infections’.
“Various hospitals have activated contingency plans to reinforce internal capacity and ‘free’ professionals for A&E. In Lisbon, the ULS São José has had to delay programmed activity (including surgeries considered ‘non-urgent’): converting orthopedic and general surgery beds to receive patients from general medicine in Hospital Curry Cabral. The number of admissions and transfers has increased by 4% compared to the same period for 2024.
“In São Francisco Xavier (hospital) an additional A&E wing has been activated, with the capacity for 16 patients – and there has been a reinforcement of admissions capacity in various services.
“The ULS Santa Maria has also opened a new bloc with 12 beds for patients with respiratory problems” – and in Viana do Castelo, the ULS Alto Minho found itself transferring around a dozen patients into the private and social sector in order to cope with what is a fairly predictable seasonal influx.
The Algarve also has been suffering, with surgeries considered ‘non-urgent’ postponed in order to ‘free up’ more beds.
The current cold snap however which is invariably linked to hospital admissions is due to ‘break’ at the weekend, giving way to a period of milder temperatures and rain – and hopefully a little less seasonal illness.
