Every winter, respiratory infections are and very present. They are putting pressure on our health care system. To better manage the different peaks, the Risk Management Group (RMG) developed the Winter plan Respiratory infections. The latter closely follows the evolution ofe pathologies common in Belgium such as influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or even pneumococcus.
What are the different codes for respiratory infections?
The Winter Plan has 4 alert levels to which specific recommendations are associated:
- The green code ???? means that there is a low circulation of respiratory infections and that the health system is under control;
- The yellow code ???? means that there is increased circulation of respiratory viruses, but the pressure on the health system remains under control;
- Code Orange ???? means that pressure is increasing on the health system and that additional recommendations are necessary;
- Code Red ???? means there is a high risk of healthcare overload.
Code orange
We have heard it a lot in recent days: the alert level for respiratory infections has gone from code yellow to code orange. This means that there is now significant pressure on the healthcare system and further recommendations are needed. Here they are:
If you are one of the vulnerable people (elderly people, chronically ill people, patients suffering from immune problems, pregnant women) and you have not yet been vaccinated (against the flu), consult your doctor or pharmacist to do so as soon as possible. quickly.
Hospital overload
With the current flu epidemic, hospitals are in heavy demand. To avoid overloading them, we strongly urge you to first consult your doctor in the event of flu symptoms or respiratory problems.
Wearing a mask
In code orange, anyone with symptoms or vulnerabilities is advised to wear a mask and keep distance in the frequented public places (such as public transport) and private and public gatherings. In nursing homes, staff and symptomatic visitors wear a mask if they absolutely must be in the establishment.
Furthermore, it is also recommended to wear a mask when contacting healthcare providers, for example in pharmacies. In hospitals, it is recommended to wear it during any contact with patients.
Every winter, respiratory infections are and very present. They are putting our health care system under pressure. To better manage the different peaks, the Risk Management Group (RMG) developed the Winter plan Respiratory infections. The latter closely follows the evolution ofe pathologies common in Belgium such as influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or even pneumococcus.
What are the different codes for respiratory infections?
The Winter Plan has 4 alert levels to which specific recommendations are associated:
- The green code ???? means that there is a low circulation of respiratory infections and that the health system is under control;
- The yellow code ???? means that there is increased circulation of respiratory viruses, but the pressure on the health system remains under control;
- Code Orange ???? means that pressure is increasing on the health system and that additional recommendations are necessary;
- Code Red ???? means there is a high risk of healthcare overload.
Code orange
We have heard it a lot in recent days: the alert level for respiratory infections has gone from code yellow to code orange. This means that there is now significant pressure on the healthcare system and further recommendations are needed. Here they are:
If you are one of the vulnerable people (elderly people, chronically ill people, patients suffering from immune problems, pregnant women) and you have not yet been vaccinated (against the flu), consult your doctor or pharmacist to do so as soon as possible. quickly.
Hospital overload
With the current flu epidemic, hospitals are in heavy demand. To avoid overloading them, we strongly urge you to first consult your doctor in the event of flu symptoms or respiratory problems.
Wearing a mask
In code orange, anyone with symptoms or vulnerabilities is advised to wear a mask and keep distance in the frequented public places (such as public transport) and private and public gatherings. In nursing homes, staff and symptomatic visitors wear a mask if they absolutely must be in the establishment.
Furthermore, it is also recommended to wear a mask when contacting healthcare providers, for example in pharmacies. In hospitals, it is recommended to wear it during any contact with patients.
