Coronavirus news

Covid is still around - Cases in Mallorca up over 100% in a month

There are new subvariants which are somewhat more contagious

Primary care health centres are currently handling over 800 cases | Photo: Jaume Morey

Andrew EdePalma08/08/2023 16:43

Covid was never going to completely disappear and so it is inevitable that there will be periods when contagion is higher than at other times.

The IB-Salut health service in Mallorca reports that on August 3, primary care (health centres) was treating 852 cases. These were up by 125% compared with the start of July. On Tuesday (August 8), there were 45 Covid patients on hospital wards and three in intensive care. On July 6, these numbers were 27 and two, respectively.

Joan Carles March, the specialist in public health and preventive medicine who was regularly quoted during the pandemic, says that the circulation of coronavirus is on the rise again in Spain but that the data do not raise alarms. "However, the incidence of the virus and the positivity rate have increased in recent weeks. Based on the figures, it is necessary to be vigilant and control the disease before the arrival of autumn and winter translates into a lack of control of cases."

He adds that there is an upward trend in the number of cases across the world. "We are witnessing an increase in Covid-19 cases, which are still mostly mild."

As the pandemic is over and Covid has become a common disease, March explains that Omicron remains the dominant variant but that the increase lies with new subvariants which are somewhat more contagious. Moreover, there are obviously not the restrictions there once were, while "the vaccine has stopped working because we haven't been vaccinated for a long time".

He concludes that it is not necessary to take measures but stresses the importance of good ventilation, surveillance and vaccination.