A sick child at school infects the whole class; isolation is the only brake.
En Mendoza, la influenza H3N2 ha encontrado en los niños su vector más visible, cuadruplicando las hospitalizaciones en el hospital Notti en apenas un mes. La velocidad de contagio supera la de temporadas anteriores, recordándonos que los virus no distinguen entre la rutina cotidiana y la vulnerabilidad silenciosa. Las herramientas para frenar la ola existen —el aislamiento, el barbijo, la consulta oportuna— pero su eficacia depende de una respuesta colectiva que aún está por definirse.
- Las hospitalizaciones por H3N2 en el Notti pasaron de 20 en abril a 80 a mediados de mayo, con el mes todavía sin terminar.
- Los infectados contagian durante cinco a siete días, convirtiendo aulas y oficinas en cadenas de transmisión difíciles de cortar.
- Los grupos más expuestos —ancianos, embarazadas, recién nacidos y niños con enfermedades de base— enfrentan un riesgo elevado ante las brechas en la cobertura de vacunación.
- El sistema sanitario opera al límite: entre 400 y 600 consultas diarias generan esperas de hasta seis horas para casos de baja complejidad.
- Las autoridades piden reservar las guardias para síntomas graves —dificultad respiratoria, vómitos incontrolables, deterioro marcado— y acudir primero a centros de atención primaria.
La H3N2 llegó a Mendoza con una velocidad inusual, y los niños están entre los más afectados. En el hospital Notti, las internaciones por influenza A saltaron de 20 en abril a 80 a mediados de mayo —un cuádruplo en pocas semanas—, un ritmo que la jefa de epidemiología del hospital, Verónica Del Negro, describió como notablemente más alto que el de temporadas anteriores.
El período de contagio es breve pero de gran alcance: entre cinco y siete días desde la aparición de los síntomas. Un niño enfermo en el aula o un adulto en el trabajo puede desencadenar una cadena de infecciones difícil de detener. Del Negro subrayó que quedarse en casa durante ese lapso es la medida más directa para interrumpir la transmisión; cuando el aislamiento no es posible, recomendó retomar el uso del barbijo, una herramienta que ya demostró su valor durante la pandemia.
Las poblaciones vulnerables —ancianos, embarazadas, recién nacidos y niños con enfermedades de base— enfrentan un riesgo particular. La cobertura vacunal es sólida en menores de dos años, pero presenta brechas en niños mayores con condiciones de salud preexistentes.
El sistema de salud funciona, pero al límite. El Notti recibe entre 400 y 600 consultas ambulatorias diarias, con esperas de hasta seis horas para casos de baja complejidad. Los centros de atención primaria reportan una presión similar. Ante esto, Del Negro fue clara: la guardia debe reservarse para señales de alarma reales —dificultad para respirar, vómitos incontrolables o deterioro evidente—, mientras que los casos moderados deben canalizarse hacia médicos de cabecera o centros pediátricos distribuidos en toda la ciudad.
Lo que ocurra en las próximas semanas dependerá tanto de la duración de la ola como de la capacidad de la comunidad para adoptar estas medidas simples pero decisivas.
The H3N2 flu has arrived in Mendoza, and children are among those bearing the brunt. In the span of a single month, hospitalizations at the Notti hospital have accelerated at an alarming pace. During April, the facility admitted 20 patients with influenza A. By mid-May, that number had climbed to 80—a fourfold jump in just weeks, with the month still unfinished. Verónica Del Negro, the hospital's head of epidemiology, described the velocity of transmission as notably higher than previous flu seasons that have moved through the region.
The contagion window is narrow but consequential. Once symptoms appear, an infected person remains contagious for five to seven days. This timeline creates a domino effect in enclosed spaces. A sick child attending school will infect classmates. An ill adult at work will spread the virus to colleagues. Del Negro emphasized that staying home during this infectious period is the most direct way to interrupt transmission. When isolation isn't possible—acknowledging that for many families it simply isn't—she urged a return to the mask-wearing practices people learned during the pandemic, a tool that proved its worth and remains available.
Vulnerable populations face particular risk. Elderly people, pregnant women, and newborns are at heightened danger if exposed. The province tracks vaccination rates, and coverage among children under two years old is strong. The gaps appear in older children with underlying health conditions, a group where protection remains incomplete.
The surge has pushed the healthcare system to its operational ceiling. The Notti is not overwhelmed in the sense of collapse, but it is running at maximum capacity. Between 400 and 600 outpatient consultations arrive each day, depending on the hour. Wait times have stretched to six hours for patients with low-acuity cases marked as green codes. This congestion is not limited to the Notti; colleagues at community health centers report similar crowding, with patients cycling through continuously.
Del Negro offered guidance on when emergency care is truly necessary. Parents should first attempt to have their child evaluated at a primary care clinic, with their family doctor, or at an urgent care facility—pediatric options exist throughout the city. The emergency department should be reserved for children showing signs of genuine severity: difficulty breathing, uncontrollable vomiting, or marked deterioration in overall condition. Those patients will be prioritized and seen quickly because the need is real.
The message is calibrated and practical. The health system is functioning, but it is stretched. The virus is spreading fast. The tools to slow it—isolation, masks, early care-seeking at the right level—are simple but require collective action. What happens next depends partly on whether the community responds to these guidelines, and partly on how long the H3N2 wave continues to build.
Notable Quotes
In April we detected 20 flu A cases in hospitalized patients; in May we're reaching 80 cases and the month isn't over yet.— Verónica Del Negro, head of epidemiology, Notti hospital
If your child has difficulty breathing, uncontrollable vomiting, or poor overall condition, that's when you go to the emergency department.— Verónica Del Negro
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did cases jump so dramatically from April to May? Was there a specific trigger?
The virus itself doesn't need a trigger—it just needs susceptible people and time. H3N2 spreads faster than other flu strains that have circulated here. Once it gains a foothold, it moves through schools and workplaces exponentially. April was the beginning; May is when the curve became visible.
The five-to-seven-day contagion window—that's the real problem, isn't it?
Exactly. A child feels sick on Monday, goes to school Tuesday because the parent thinks it's mild, and by Friday half the class is infected. By then the original child is still contagious. It's not about severity; it's about duration and density of contact.
Del Negro mentioned vaccination gaps in children over two. How significant is that?
Significant enough to notice, but not catastrophic. The younger kids are protected. It's the older children with chronic conditions—asthma, diabetes, immunocompromise—where coverage drops. Those are the kids who need it most and have it least.
The emergency department is at capacity but not collapsed. What's the difference?
Collapse means the system breaks. This is a system running at its limit, still functioning but with no buffer. One more surge and it tips. That's why Del Negro is asking people to use primary care first—it's not just guidance, it's triage by request.
Should people be worried?
Worried enough to take precautions, not worried enough to panic. The virus is real, transmission is fast, but most people recover. The concern is protecting those who won't—the elderly, the pregnant, the newborn. And keeping the system from breaking under the weight.