Rhinovirus, Covid-19, influenza and syncytial virus, the latter with a progressive increase, are among the main diseases circulating these days, which will have a peak incidence between August and October, they detailed. This hospital’s service currently has an occupancy of 107 percent, warned the deputy director of the pediatric institution, Carlos Jiménez, to the Teletica news program.

There are 17 patients in the ICU, including three with assisted mechanical ventilation in the Emergency service, who are waiting to enter that room, he pointed out.

The specialist explained that the doctors of the capital institution care for 79 hospitalized children with complications from the infection of these viruses, a figure that exceeds the occupation allocated for this type of care, he stressed.

He insisted the population must maintain the established hygienic measures and avoid entering crowded places with children and not bring them closer to infected people, among other suggestions.

He warned at the same time about the low vaccination rates that the country presents against influenza, especially children and the elderly, a campaign that started at the end of last May.

The Ministry of Health at that time defined the risk groups to be vaccinated, among them the infant population older than six months and younger than seven years; adults 58 years and older, as well as pregnant women, regardless of gestational age.

Added to these are people between the ages of seven and 57 with the presence of a chronic disease, Down syndrome, kidney patients, infantile cerebral palsy, severe and moderate malnutrition, cancer and primary, secondary or acquired immunodeficiencies and vasculitis.

ef/lam/alb