Covid hospitalisation rate now exceeds that of 2021

Covid continues to spread in many countries again, including Spain, where it has now accumulated seven consecutive weeks of growth. In the last week, the estimated incidence rate has risen from 85.4 to 107.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Hospitalisations continue to increase, as many locations face a summer of cuts and reductions already, and as of now, the estimated admission rate already exceeds that of June 2021, the second year of the pandemic.

According to the data from the latest report from the Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System (SiVIRA) of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), published with data relating to the week of June 3 to 9, Covid positivity in hospitals has rose eight percentage points in the last week analysed, going from 25.1% the previous week to the current 33.2%. In addition, the rate of admissions due to Covid has gone from 3.7 to 4.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

These data draw a graph that already surpasses the trajectory of June 2021, when the second summer in the pandemic began and 48.9% of the Spanish population already had at least the first dose of a vaccine against covid and 30 .4% even had two jabs. The current admission rate also exceeds that of last year, when 85% of the total population was vaccinated.

Faced with this situation, the Ministry of Health recalled that “even if the symptoms are mild”, a series of recommendations must be followed to protect the most vulnerable people, such as covering the nose when sneezing, using disposable tissues to contain respiratory droplets and throw them in the nearest trash after use.

In addition, the Department of Health urged people to use the mask when there are symptoms of respiratory infection (nasal congestion, sore throat, fever…), to perform proper hand hygiene and to follow vaccination recommendations.

According to the latest data from the ISCIII, the rate of respiratory infections (flu, covid and RSV) at the national level is 439.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while last week it was 428.9. In terms of positivity in the rapid detection tests carried out in the sentinel network, the flu has dropped in the last week from 1.8% to 0.5%, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis, It remains around 0% and Covid continues to escalate, going from 19.9 to 24.5% in primary care.

In hospitals, the percentage of positivity is 0.8% for flu (compared to 1% the previous week), 33.2% for SARS-CoV-2 (compared to 25.1% the previous week) and 0% for RSV (same as the previous week).

“In terms of severity, since the beginning of the season, cases hospitalised with covid-19 have presented 30.2% pneumonia, 4.1% admission to the ICU and 8.4% fatality,” says the report.

As for the symptoms, these remain generally mild. The most frequently reported, according to data from the Carlos III Health Institute, are cough (81.9%), general malaise (78.2%), sore throat (67.5%) and fever (64.7%). More than half of the cases detected report a sudden appearance of symptoms, muscle pain and headache.