COVID-19 is behind the rise in respiratory infections seen in Spain in recent weeks. Influenza is circulating too, but has not reached its highest point, leaving coronavirus as the basic respiratory threat currently detected. Spain's SiVIRA surveillance system recorded a rise in COVID-19 incidence in primary care from 8.0 to 11.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the week of 7 to 13 September 2026. Test positivity reached approximately 15% to 16.7%.
María del Mar Tomás, a spokesperson for the Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), said the increase is most visible in Galicia. Consultations for respiratory infections there rose by about 7% from the previous week, mainly because of COVID-19. Regional figures reported by La Voz de Galicia showed that COVID-19 consultations rose by 59.3%, while consultations for influenza fell by 11% over the same period. Spain's overall rate of acute respiratory infections in primary care was about 261.1 cases per 100,000 people, still below the epidemic threshold in the SiVIRA data.
The rise comes as people return to schools and workplaces after the summer. More contact and longer periods indoors with poor ventilation make it easier for viruses to spread. Holiday travel and gatherings may also have contributed. Some older people may have weaker protection against COVID-19.
The warning is regional, not nationwide. Current surveillance data do not point to a new national wave. In Andalusia, health authorities also described infection levels as low and said the situation would need close monitoring if the rise continues.
Tomás said people over 80 and those with comorbidities need the closest attention. An infection can worsen existing illnesses and lead to hospital admission. More coronavirus cases in hospitals do not mean hospitals are the basic place where the virus spreads. COVID-19 is circulating in the community, and many people with mild symptoms may never receive a diagnosis. In Galicia, local reports have nevertheless described added pressure on primary-care consultations and out-of-hours points, as well as on hospital emergency departments.
Regional vaccination campaigns against influenza and COVID-19 were scheduled to begin on 28 September 2026 in several parts of Spain, initially prioritising vulnerable groups, including residents of care homes.
COVID-19 remains a possibility in respiratory cases even though influenza A incidence is not high. Symptoms alone cannot reliably distinguish the infections. Doctors may need to consider coronavirus when a patient appears to have an ordinary seasonal illness. The current pattern can also be viewed alongside recent Galicia coverage, since regional conditions affect how people spend time indoors and move between locations.
Vaccination against flu and COVID-19 is approaching. Tomás said the next few weeks would help determine how the situation should be handled. She identified older people and those with comorbidities as groups who may need COVID-19 vaccination. Health authorities and health systems will decide the exact vaccination strategy.
For now, the practical steps are simple: ventilate rooms and consider masks where vulnerable people may be exposed, including in care homes or on crowded transport. These measures matter most when contact with people at higher risk cannot be avoided.
Tomás does not see the current figures as proof that flu season has arrived early. Influenza is more closely linked to falling temperatures and other conditions that help it spread. She expects COVID-19 may continue circulating in the coming weeks before colder weather brings more flu and potentially pushes coronavirus into the background. September surveillance showed that influenza was circulating more actively than at the same point a year earlier, but its positivity remained below that of SARS-CoV-2.
The data call for attention without alarm. COVID-19 is leading the current increase, while flu remains below its peak. The people most likely to face serious consequences are already known. Residents should not treat every respiratory symptom as flu or assume that hospital figures show the full level of community transmission. Ventilation and selective mask use offer practical protection while authorities assess vaccination needs. Protecting vulnerable people should remain the priority as authorities assess whether the current trend changes.
