The increase in cases of patients with flu symptoms in Limeira (SP) has been causing greater demand for care and causing queues in hospitals this Monday (27). There was an increase in the number of visits to hospitals, Emergency Care Units (UPA) and Basic Health Units (UBS) in the city.
Despite the increase in demand for care, the Health Department of Limeira reported that the municipality has not registered any case of the H3N2 variant that has been affecting the State of Rio de Janeiro so far. And that although there are no registered cases, the folder awaits lots of vaccinations for future immunization.
According to information released in a note by Santa Casa de Limeira this afternoon, 96% of people awaiting care at the hospital’s Emergency Room are classified as “non-urgent” cases. The supervising nurse of the SUS Emergency Room, Eliane Marta, stated that many of these patients are coming to the ER with flu-like symptoms in anticipation of undergoing an exam for covid-19 or new influenza H3N2. “Santa Casa performs the exams only in cases where the patient is hospitalized in the institution”, said the nurse.
The increase in the search for assistance was also felt at the UPA at Parque Hipólito, which is open 24 hours a day. On Sunday (26) 153 consultations were carried out, this Monday until 17h, 200 consultations had already been registered, mostly patients with flu-like symptoms, and many other people were waiting in line for assistance. The Parque Hipólito Basic Health Unit also registered an increase in patients with viral symptoms.
So far Limeira has five people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Piracicaba
The growing number of people seeking medical care is not only felt in Limeira. According to the city’s Health Department, UPA Piracicamirim, on December 24, Christmas Eve, the number of people cared for at the unit was 291. On this Sunday (26), after the Christmas festivities, the number of people attended reached 476, an increase of 63.6%, most of whom had flu-like symptoms as the main aggravating factor. This same situation occurs in other UPAs in the city: Vila Cristina, Vila Sônia and Vila Rezende.
Although the symptoms are very similar, it is possible to know the difference between seasonal flu – which in some cases can be associated with Influenza – and Covid-19, whose symptoms have been changing with the emergence of new strains.
In flu, symptoms are sudden fever, headache, dry cough, muscle and joint pain, malaise, sore throat and runny nose. In the case of Influenza, symptoms are more intense after the first 48 hours and may include shortness of breath.
At Covid-19, symptoms are fever, persistent cough, runny nose, sneezing, headache and sore throat; in this case, the symptoms of the disease become more intense from the 5th or 6th day of infection.
The orientation is for everyone to continue with the distance between people of at least one meter, cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and wash their hands immediately after contact with respiratory secretions, in addition to using a mask and hand sanitizing with alcohol in gel, these measures are important for the prevention both against the Influenza virus and against Covid-19.