translated from Spanish: Minsal decreed health alert for metropolitan region for syncycly viruses

The Ministry of Health decreed a health alert for the Metropolitan Region for syncial viruses, as part of measures in the face of increased consultations for respiratory diseases. At the press conference held at the Exequiel González Cortés Hospital, together with the new undersecretary of assistance networks, Arturo Zúñiga, Minister Jaime Mañalich explained that “during these last days we have had a very severe increase in infections in children syncial virus. What the Institute of Public Health documents is that the outbreak of this disease is the most important we have had in recent years,” he said. “Unfortunately, this infection, this virus, which can affect anyone, including adults, when it compromises the health of young children, under 4 years old, the risk they take is very important,” Mañalich added. For his part, Undersecretary Zúñiga explained that among the measures taken are “the enablement of 25% more critical beds in hospitals, “that means more than 200 beds, both intensive and intermediate. We have also moved patients to regions,” he said. He also stated that “we have spoken to the institutional hospitals of the Armed Forces to enable more critical pediatric beds, to allow us to move patients to these institutions,” Zuñiga said. The move to decree health alert will allow hospitals more resources to care for patients. Finally, the authorities noted that the peak of the virus is expected in the coming weeks, so the measures taken seek to anticipate this scenario.

Original source in Spanish