Hospitals have already felt the impact of the new omicron-subvariants’ seventh wave of covid-19. They are now unable to prevent the increase in infections as they did in previous weeks. The number of Spanish coronavirus-infected patients has nearly doubled in a month. This has had an indirect impact on the intensive care units.
The Ministry of Health has released the latest report. 12,080 Spanish covid patients are now in hospital, as opposed to 6,412 on June 10. Coronavirus patients occupied 5.2% hospital beds on June 10, while they accounted yesterday for 9.5%, close to 10%. This would indicate that coronavirus patients are now considered high-risk and will be able to leave the’medium’ risk status and enter the high risk’ category according to the ’covid traffic light’.
Similar results can be seen in the ICUs. They currently house 508 patients at 5.77% occupancy. On June 8, they were at minimum 3.62% occupancy with 322 people hospitalized. Madrid (14.59%) and the Basque Country (10.01%) are the two communities that have the highest number of covid patients in ICUs.
Infections are the main reason for an increase in hospital pressure. Yesterday’s accumulated flu incidence for those over 60 years was 1,225.28 cases per 100 000 people, 90 more than Tuesday. The most alarming data is for those over 80, who are the most vulnerable subgroup. Their cumulative incidence has reached 1,641.7.
La Rioja is the highest number of cases among over-60-year-olds with 2,283 cases. Extremadura (1.678) and Basque Country (1.460) are close behind. With 482 cases, all are over 1,000 in terms of cumulative incidence. Andalusia is the exception. The prospects are not good for the future. Seven-day incidence stands at 632.22, which is more than half of the 14. In nursing homes, the number of infected patients is on the rise. There are now 5,595 people infected. This is 1,100 more than last week.
Amos Garcia Rojas, president of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology says that “the outstanding increase in infection has not been accompanied at the same time by an increase of hospital pressure.” This expert warns against complacency. He says that if there are more infections, it will lead to more serious cases and more death. This will increase pressure in hospitals and all levels of care, including Primary Care.
There has been a noticeable increase in deaths due to covid in Spain. Health has reported 471 covid-related deaths in the past three days. This is the highest number since April 1st, when the flu started, and three times more than Tuesday’s report of 148. With a positive test, the number of people who have been killed by coronavirus in the last three days has risen to 108,730.
Carolina Darias, despite the fact that the situation has been dire since February mid-February and is still at its worst, maintains optimism by stating that the pandemic rate could be slowing down. The minister asked all those who have not yet received the booster dose to inoculate the dose. This is the third dose among those who were immunized with Moderna or Pfizer. According to updated vaccination data, 46.2% of Spaniards still have not received the booster dose.
Garcia Rojas insists that “many people have not received the third dose” and that it is important to understand that with two doses one is not properly vaccinated. Garcia Rojas supports the recommendation that the mask be used again, but only in closed areas and with vulnerable persons.
Researchers at the University of Granada (UGR), have developed a method that uses artificial intelligence to detect covid-19 by analyzing patients’ coughs and voices, looking for acoustic patterns that might indicate the disease.
According to the UGR, it is non-invasive technology that can be used immediately without the need to send the patient to a health Center.
