Chaos erupts in Spain as beds line hospital corridors after flu cases triple

Beds are lining Spanish hospital corridors after a flu continues to spread across the country.

Influenza A cases are soaring up and down Spain as the number of admissions has tripled in the past seven days, reports , while those with bronchiolitis have doubled.

In alone more than 600 people have been hospitalised with cases of Influenza A in just the past week.

Overall, respiratory virus admissions in hospitals across Alicante have doubled in one week to 28 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

As pressure continues to mount on ever-stretched hospitals many patients have found themselves on beds that line corridors.

The climbing number of cases has prompted a return of -19 measures as patients are being ordered to wear face masks upon entering health centres.

Those over the age of 80 are also being admitted to hospital with pneumonia, acute bronchitis and worsening of COPD.

Dr Pere Llorens, head of the emergency department at Doctor Balmis Hospital Alicante, said the situation has worsened in the last two weeks.

He said: “In young people, these are more trivial cases, but the elderly are more affected and it aggravates or destabilises underlying chronic diseases. They are the ones who are admitted the most.”

However, on a positive note Dr Llorens has not seen a significant rise in cases.

Elsewhere, in the US, -era mask rules are creeping back into daily life. Hospitals in parts of California, Illinois, Indiana, and New Jersey have also

This is due to a climbing amount of -19 cases, flu, RSV (a respiratory illness that causes colds), and norovirus (the winter vomiting bug).

In guidance posted online, New Jersey’s largest hospital system, RWJBarnabas Health, said visitors would now be expected to “wear an appropriate face mask” and “maintain physical distance”.

It added: “We will offer you a new mask for source control or may ask you to replace your own mask with a hospital-supplied mask.”