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Covid infections rebound dramatically in the Region of Murcia
The emergence of a new Eris variant is causing concern throughout Spain
The coronavirus pandemic might feel like old news but it is very much lingering in the background of everyday life, and cases have skyrocketed in Spain with the onset of the summer season, which typically means far more travel and social interaction.
Infections took a slight upward turn in the Region of Murcia at the beginning of August, as was expected by health experts, and the Covid incidence rate escalated from 11.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of July to 18.8 the following week. However, at this point, the situation hadn’t translated into any more hospital admissions and only 11 people were being treated for serious coronavirus-related illnesses in intensive care.
The outlook is changing though, according to the regional health authorities, and on Friday August 11, "the Covid-19 rate went from 19.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants the week before to 24.0 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last week."
Today, hospitals in the Region are treating 60 people infected with coronavirus and of these, three are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
But the Ministry of Health continues to insist that there is no need to panic, "the increase that Covid-19 has experienced is slight and it must be taken into account that we start from very low levels and the rates continue to be equally very low."
Across the Region of Murcia, sales of antigen tests in pharmacies have also boomed as people get ready for holidays, so this would also increase the number of cases being detected.
What can’t be explained away so easily is the emergence of a new strain, Eris, whose name is taken from the Greek goddess of Discord. While the Ministry is adamant that the variant hasn’t yet reached the Murcian community, it’s known to be highly transmissible and so the World Health Organisation (WHO) has asked the authorities to remain vigilant.
Furthermore, the WHO has warned that Eris "may cause an increase in the incidence of cases and become dominant in some countries or even globally."
At the moment, there are no indications that the new variant increases the chances of hospitalisation or more serious illness and the symptoms are similar to those of the Omicron strain: sore throat, congestion, sneezing, coughing, headache, hoarse throat, muscle aches and loss of smell.
Image: Pexels
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