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Flu, Covid and the RS-Virus (RSV): The "triple epidemic", as the French health minister François Braun recently described it, has also got Luxembourg in its grip.
"RSV causes less problems among adults," says Dr Emile Bock, emergency doctor and coordinator at Robert Schuman Hospital. "With the flu, however, we can see that we have not reached the peak of the epidemic."
The Influenza A virus was most frequently detected over the past week, making up 36.6% of cases. 15% were found to be rhinovirus, or the common cold, while 13.4% were RSV, or bronchiolitis, which has swamped paediatric services in Luxembourg over the past months.
The Robert Schuman hospital saw 2,300 patients come in over the last 14 days, 350 of whom showed respiratory problems. This has become a pressing issue especially over the festive period.
"There was a lot of work. Then on Monday we were dealing with icy roads, leading to accidents. We saw 30% more people come through," says Dr Bock.
With regards to the bronchiolitis epidemic, the situation in the children's hospital has stabilised, "despite a large inflow of patients," says CHL medical director Martine Goergen.
GPs are also feeling the strain: "We're so busy that some people even get angry we're not available," says GP Dr Nico Haas. "I'm actually on holiday today, but I went on home visits because no one else was available to do them."
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