"The 'quintudemia' (five viruses at once) has reached the Balearic Islands, putting strain on emergency services, as confirmed by IB-Salut. As of 2pm on Tuesday, 119 people were awaiting hospital admission in the public hospitals of the islands. On Monday alone, a total of 1,396 patients were treated. Additionally, 1,331 individuals visited primary care emergency services. IB-Salut has noted an increase in respiratory virus cases, and experts predict the situation may worsen in the coming days.
Although many are affected by these illnesses, some may wonder what exactly 'quintudemia' means. Public Health and Preventive Medicine specialist Joan Carles March explained, “The term 'quintudemia' refers to the five viruses circulating in our lives this January.” Specifically, these include the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus, rhinovirus, and COVID-19. While these viruses are present every year, the number of cases this season is unusually high. However, they are generally not severe illnesses, so emergency services are not more overwhelmed than in previous years."
When asked whether hospital beds are being placed in hallways, IB-Salut responded, "Hospitals are dynamic; they adapt to the fluctuations in patient intake, opening beds and hiring professionals according to demand." They emphasised that contingency plans are always prepared during the winter season to anticipate such situations. "One day, emergency services might be under strain, and the next day they may not be. Patients are discharged daily, allowing those waiting to be admitted. On days with a sudden influx of patients, some may need to stay in emergency department bays, where they are cared for by medical staff until they can be transferred to a ward."
What are the viruses that make up the 'quintudemia'?
Flu (Influenza) has an incubation period of 1–4 days and lasts for 7–10 days, with symptoms including fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, cough, and fatigue; cases are rising, and experts predict that the flu will peak in the Balearic Islands after the Sant Sebastià festivities due to increased social interactions, with variants including the common flu as well as Influenza A and B.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is seasonal, primarily active from October to March, and is a leading cause of respiratory illness in children, causing symptoms such as fever, chills, difficulty breathing, headache, muscle aches, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and fatigue, which are often mild and resemble a common cold, but in younger children, RSV can lead to severe conditions such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia.
Norovirus, an RNA stomach virus, has an incubation period of 12–48 hours and lasts for 1–3 days, with symptoms including fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and severe abdominal pain, and it spreads orally through direct contact or, more commonly, via contaminated hands, food, or water, originating from infected individuals' hands, feces, or vomit; frequent handwashing is essential to prevent transmission, and those showing symptoms should isolate.
Rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, has a gradual onset with an incubation period of 1–3 days and a duration of 2–4 days, with symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing; it is generally harmless, although it can feel severe, with adults typically experiencing two to three colds annually, while babies and young children may get colds more frequently.
COVID-19 has introduced a new variant, XEC, which is becoming the dominant strain in Europe and is noted for its higher transmissibility, with symptoms similar to the Omicron variant; XEC was first reported in Germany and has since spread to countries such as the UK, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden, Slovenia, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, and while the World Health Organization has classified it as a "variant under monitoring" due to its high contagion rate, it has not been linked to a significant increase in symptom severity; its symptoms resemble a flu-like syndrome, including fever, cough, general discomfort, fatigue, and, in some cases, loss of taste and smell, affecting primarily vulnerable populations, and frequent handwashing, complete vaccination, and general hygiene practices are recommended to reduce transmission.