The Public Health Agency writes on its website that the spread of covid-19, influenza and the RS virus is still high in Sweden. Swedes are advised to stay at home if they show any symptoms of illness.
— The widespread diffusion of the covid-19 virus, influenza and RS continues. Staying home when sick is especially important as more people return to work and schools restart after weekends, writes the Public Health Agency.
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The spread of respiratory viruses is high
The number of confirmed cases of influenza continues to increase and the RS virus is at the same high level as in week 51. Confirmed cases of covid-19 decreased slightly in week 52 compared to the previous week.
Due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, there may be some delay in reporting data, and the number of confirmed cases may be affected by the temporary change in treatment seeking and sampling patterns.
If the number of reported cases is too low, it means that more people in society are now sick than the statistics show. Overall, the prevalence of respiratory viruses is judged to be high and the burden on the health system is high.
During week 52, 35 new ICU patients with confirmed covid-19 have been reported so far, but the number is expected to increase due to follow-up reports.
In the previous three weeks, an average of 48 new patients were reported per week. So far, 255 confirmed cases have been reported as having died with covid-19 in week 51. This can be compared with an average of 124 deaths in the previous three weeks.
Influence is increased by 20%.
Confirmed cases of influenza increased by 20% between weeks 51 and 52. Since the season started in week 48, the increase in the number of cases has been strong. The number of ICU patients with confirmed flu has increased, and 43 new hospitalized patients have been reported so far in week 52.
“Next week many people will go back to their workplace after the holidays and schools will start again, so it’s important that we all help each other now. Those who are ill with symptoms of a respiratory infection should stay home and avoid close contact with others, says Anders Lindblom, a state epidemiologist.
The Public Health Agency recalls the importance of vaccination against covid-19 and flu according to current recommendations to reduce the risk of serious disease. It is possible to combine the flu vaccination with the covid-19 vaccination.
