The covid is causing a new increase in cases in the middle of summer and experts predict that they will continue to rise for a few more weeks, although the vast majority are mild cases that are noticed “a little” in Primary Care, but almost “not at all” in hospitals and even less in ICUs. Hospital admissions due to coronavirus have grown in Catalonia to 440, according to the latest update of the Information System for the Surveillance of Infections in Catalonia (Sivic). This number of admissions exceeds those at the end of May, when 369 were registered, and at the end of January, with 381; the lowest level was the week between June 26 and July 2, with 223 hospitalizations.
In this regard, according to the latest Sentinel Surveillance Report on Acute Respiratory Infection in Primary Care (IRAs) and Hospitals (IRAG). Influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, from the Carlos III Institute, in one week the incidence of covid in Primary Care has increased by 13 points, from 75 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 88. At the beginning of July it was 29.
By age group, the highest figures continue to be in children under 5, who exceed 180. Meanwhile, the hospitalization rate stands at 2.04 (in the previous report it was 0.75).
According to Salvador Peiró, specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health, “we have had outbreaks every summer”, and “the expected” is that every 5-6 months, which is when the protective effect of vaccines and acquired natural immunity after an infection begins to decline, there are these types of spikes.
If all this is added to the increase in mobility and social interactions typical of the summer, the first of the last four which also takes place completely without masks, “then the peaks are sung”.
In any case, the sale of antigen tests in Spanish pharmacies soared during July, which increased by 100% compared to June. In Catalonia, more than 46,000 units were sold, which means 148% more compared to sales at the end of the previous month, as reported by eleconomista.es.
For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns of a new variant of the covid virus that could spread rapidly throughout the world. It is erysipelas, and the organization warns that cases are on the rise and it is already predominant in 17% of patients. In fact, the eris already circulates in 51 countries, especially in China. The first case was notified on February 17, and on July 19 the WHO designated it as a variant under surveillance.
Spain is the eleventh State on the list with 107 cases, which represent 1.5% of the total. No case has yet been registered in Catalonia. The WHO assures that the risk it poses to public health is low, but says that its growth and characteristics may mean that it ends up being dominant in some countries or even worldwide.
This body has no evidence, at the moment, that this variant is causing an increase in hospitalizations.
