Covid-19 indicators continue to fall in Spain after Christmas

Indicators measuring the spread of covid-19 in Spain continue stable and decreasing after the Christmas holidays, with 3,505 patients admitted linked to an infection “with or by” covid-19, which results in a a hospital occupancy rate of 2.7%. and a declining incidence of 124 cases per 100,000 population.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, in the past week, there are 15 fewer patients in hospitals and a total of 222 in intensive care units (231 seven days ago), i.e. a Occupancy rate of 2.5%.

Health data is being published in full saturation in the emergency rooms of major hospitals in at least eight communities and which is produced by, according to unions and medical associations, the the lack of human resources, consistent referral of patients from primary care, still high incidence of respiratory diseases and health problems due to lower temperatures.

On the impact of respiratory diseases as a whole, in which covid-19 is included, decreased last month by 858 to 567 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, but still at a high threshold, in accordance with the seasonal peaks produced by the different types of virus.

Specifically, the incidence of covid-19, which is measured in citizens over the age of 59, is 124 cases per 100,000 population, but experts and epidemiologists estimate that the rate of transmission is significantly higher given that fewer antigen tests are done due to less severe disease. in a context of high level of vaccination and successive exposures to the virus since 2020.

Thus, the data available to the health authorities for to measure the impact on health the advancement of new omicron variants such as BQ.1 (and derived sublines) or the XBB.1.5, found in the United States and that in Spain is still detected sporadically, point to a backdrop of indicators that remain within a normal range.

It is estimated that of the 3,505 patients admitted, 50% are admitted for complications related to 50% are hospitalized due to complications related to health problems due to covid-19 infection, while the rest have been diagnosed with the infection, but the cause of hospitalization is different.

However, health officials and health authorities continue to demand that the caution for the most vulnerable groups The European Commission has also requested the introduction of the fourth dose of the covid-19 vaccine, a rate which remains low in Spain.

Number of death related to covid-19 in the last week amounts to 93 (117,413 since the start of the pandemic) and mortality records, calculated on the population on which the virus has the greatest impact (over 60 years old), indicate that the fatality rate remains at 3.6%. and in less than 0.8% for the whole population.