Flu virus more dangerous, Belgium falls into a state of alarm with the "worst pandemic" since Covid-19

A surge in flu cases is putting Belgium's health system on alert, with experts calling it the "worst flu pandemic since Covid-19"

Virus gây bệnh cúm nguy hiểm hơn, Bỉ rơi vào tình trạng báo động với 'đại dịch tồi tệ nhất' kể từ thời Covid-19

The number of people visiting doctors with flu-like symptoms in Belgium has reached 1,199 per 100,000 inhabitants this week. (Source: Belga)

Weekly data from the Institute of Public Health (Sciensano) shows that the rate of people visiting doctors with flu-like symptoms reached 1,199 per 100,000 people this week, double the peak of last flu season. The rate is considered “exceptionally high” and could be even higher due to incomplete data.

Hospitals are struggling with overcrowding. The flu hospitalization rate is 6.6 per 100,000 people. While that is down slightly from last week, hospitals are still facing a shortage of beds.

Olivier Rubay, representative of the University Hospital of Liège (CHU de Liège), said that the hospital is witnessing an overload in all departments, emphasizing that the hospitals are full of patients and transferring patients to other hospitals is not feasible because all are overloaded.

The situation is made worse by staff shortages as some health workers have also contracted the flu. Health workers are overworked and under pressure.

What makes the situation particularly difficult is that the succession of respiratory viruses has left health workers with very little respite in the past few weeks, according to Dr. Julien De Greef, an infectious disease specialist at Saint-Luc University Hospital in Brussels.

Another concern is that this year's flu virus appears to be more severe, with patients typically needing five to six days of treatment, according to one GP.

The paradox is that many sick people cannot stay home long enough to recover and prevent the spread of the virus. Although there are recommendations for sick people to stay home to limit the spread of the disease, the lack of effective support measures for disadvantaged workers, especially the self-employed and those who work irregularly, is causing financial hardship for them. This forces many to go to work even when they are not yet recovered, increasing the risk of spreading the virus in the community.

Faced with this situation, health experts urge people to stay home when sick, follow disease prevention measures and get flu shots to protect themselves and the community.

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