A 30% increase highlights the pressure being placed on the health service because of colds and flu. This pressure is only set to intensify. The expectation is that the peak for flu will be in the first fortnight of February.
IB-Salut's primary care management confirmed on Thursday that the notable increase was due to people suffering with mild respiratory problems. The doctors union has meanwhile warned that it is primary care (the health centres, the PACs) which come under the greatest pressure of all because of a lack of personnel. The health service says that it is monitoring this pressure to assess whether reinforcements are needed.
In hospitals, demand on emergencies has also grown but to a lesser extent. This said, both Inca and Manacor have had to refer cases to Son Llàtzer in Palma because their emergency services have been overstretched.
At present, the greatest incidence of flu is among young children. This will only increase when the schools go back. But the pattern in general is like it normally tends to be with flu. Cases rise in the new year after the holidays and especially because people have been to mainland areas where flu epidemics start earlier and are more significant than in Mallorca and the Balearics.
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Gotta get that jab fam