A week into the summer, the seventh wave has not subsided and has left a worse situation than at the end of last year. ICUs are now clear, but our current rate of hospitalization is many times higher than in France, Italy or Germany
Spain faces it third summer covid In the event of stagnation, it is reduced without the seventh wave ending or hospitalization. The number of patients admitted for coronavirus in our country, which has just experienced a new surge, is surprisingly high for these dates: a year ago, with the vaccination campaign in full swing, hospitalizations for this reason The total number of people could not be reached. 3,300. Now, on the other hand, it is over 6,700, which is more than double.
Yes, the ICU has resisted well, Which are in a much clearer position than a year ago (899 as on June 15, 2021) (342 beds occupied by Covid patients). The safety of vaccines, new antiviral treatments and the fact that they have come from a more sober course has kept intensive care units from collapsing. Even then, The number of weekly deaths (157) is also double compared to a year ago (82)Always with the uncertainty of such data (both then and now).
Compared to other large European countries, the hospital situation in Spain, a week in the summer, attracts attention. With 120 Covid admissions per million inhabitants in seven days, our country is far more than Italy’s 31, Germany’s 34 or France’s 42According to ‘Our world in data’, Once again, these data are subject to great uncertainty, but they reflect a clear pause: while The wave of spring has descended rapidly in the countries around usHere it remains close to earnings peak (142 weekly per million, as on May 15).
The seventh wave, never approaching a sanitary collapse, is now prolonging itself in a kind of plateau Hospitalization and death figures even higher than last fall, The school year, unlike the year before, ends worse than it began. “The fourth wave, in the spring of 2021, was much smaller, now much smaller than the seventh wave,” recalls Antonio Guirao, a researcher at the University of Murcia and an expert on epidemic development.
Seventh wave, re-infection and new cases of covid
Furthermore, despite having a slight wave, even if we look at people over 60 were younger, At that time, the more vulnerable protected themselves. In fact, the incidence among those over 60 was almost negligible, unlike now, with an incidence 10 times higher than at that time in the elderlyGuirao is the opposite. A year ago, the incidence for age groups over the age of 60 did not reach 20 cases per 100,000 in seven days. On the other hand, this figure is more than 250 cases.
“In case of infection, The seventh wave has been the sixth of winter: a widespread transition, Not only have re-infections occurred, but many people who have not been infected to date have eventually become infected, because they have begun to protect themselves less and because of the massive spread of the virus,” analyzes Guirav. . The seventh wave has been the first that has not held the system to the limit, But it has left a constant flurry of serious matters. Plus, he’s having a hard time getting off. It hasn’t been high, but it’s gaining dimension.
,If we just look at total revenue that isn’t growing much, or isn’t stagnant, it gives the feeling that everything is going well; But this is an illusion, as the number of people affected is increasing every day. A silly example: We start with an empty hospital and, for a full month, one person is admitted on one day and the other is discharged. The hospital is always empty, but at the end of the month 30 people have been affected.”
Spring 2021, higher vaccination rates
There is another difference from last year: at the end of the spring of 2021, Vaccination had taken a deep turn, Whereas now it is very possible that the immunity of the disease is decreasing. “There is a problem, of course, associated with the fact that immunity is decreased, especially in older people. The number of people vaccinated by the third dose has also decreasedWhich was not as high in the first two doses,” says Joan Carles March, professor at the Andalusian School of Public Health.
“To this we can add the fact that we don’t make ourselves clear about the fourth dose, among people who talk about these issues. We haven’t clarified that,” acknowledged this expert, who closely followed – and correct in his predictions– Development of vaccination campaign. Their proposal: People age 80 or older, as well as those over 65 who are vulnerable—immune immunocompromised, older patients, transplant patients…—, would benefit from that fourth dose.
It is necessary to improve the vaccination situation we have. Above all, the third dose for a high percentage of the population
The March recommendation is in contrast to the current situation in Spain ,It has been approved for people over 80, but has not begun to be administered. and is located halfway between the actions to be taken by the European authorities –Currently, only for those over 80- And Americans, who already recommend, from May 20 onwards, a second booster—or fourth dose—”for people 50 years of age or older and those 12 years of age or older who are severely or are moderately immune.” Europe, for its part, is waiting for new evidence before moving forward in this direction.
But first there’s another challenge: Nine out of 10 people over the age of 12 have a complete diet in Spain, but only 53% of the total population have a booster dose, “It is true that there are people who, in recent months, have developed hybrid immunity with Micron, but, for the rest, it is very important to vaccinate,” Mar emphasizes. ,Vaccine saves lives, vaccine manages to control condition of most vulnerable, It is necessary to improve the vaccination situation we have. Above all, the third dose for a high percentage of the population.”
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