Spain has reached 10 million infections since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest data update from the Ministry of Health, although half of those infected in the last two years have been diagnosed in the sixth wave. Two years after the detection of the first case in La Gomera, Spain crosses another rubicon that neighboring countries such as France and Italy have already surpassed in recent days.
Specifically, 77,873 new infections have been added since the last day and 408 deaths from COVID. However, this increase in deaths may be due to a statistical effect by the Basque Country, which adds 128 deaths, and the number of deaths had not been updated for days.
Almost everything, however, including the virus, has changed since then. With more than 80% of the population vaccinated (45% with booster doses) and 90 million injections administered, the number of deaths is much lower than other waves, although it has grown along with the number of cases, to exceed one hundred of deaths per day.
How infections, admissions and deaths have changed in each wave
Evolution of the weekly average of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths since the start of the pandemic
Source: ISC III
The Ministry of Health has recorded 93,633 deaths from coronavirus to date, although the figure will be higher, with 408 new deaths reported in this latest report. If one in three deaths in the pandemic were concentrated in the first wave so far, the sixth adds 5.5%, according to Health data. With more than three times as many infections as in the third wave, the last in which the population was still not immunized, deaths do not reach a third of those that occurred then. Despite the fact that the situation is now more favourable, the set of waves, up to six, have left the biggest mortality crisis since there have been records in Spain.
This is how infections have evolved in each age group
Evolution of the incidence rate (new cases in 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants) by age group since the start of the pandemic
Source: ISC III
This Tuesday a new drop in the incidence is reported, which drops to 2,694.44 cases, 185 points less than on Monday. But if there is one thing that the sixth wave has shown, it is that the virus is unpredictable. That it can mutate, reproduce and generate an unprecedented explosion of mild infections even with a population shielded by vaccination.
Contagions in each province, month by month
New cases accumulated each month in each province in relation to its population (infections from day 1 to the last day of each month for every 100,000 inhabitants)
Source: ISC III
On January 21, Spain registered the record for cumulative incidence (3,418 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), although the peak on that day was probably due to a statistical effect. From November 2, the incidence began its upward trend again until reaching the highest figures in the entire pandemic. At that moment the last sixth wave of the coronavirus began, although for days the curve has consolidated an already clear downward trend after two months of pronounced ascent.
Numbers of infections as low as this Tuesday have not been reported since December 23, just before Christmas. At that time, the daily numbers of cases were far from those that were recorded just a few days later. Only between Monday, December 27 and Monday, January 10, two million positives were registered.
Hospitals, except for unforeseeable changes, also seem to be in a stabilization phase, although with significant pressure due to the outbreak of cases. According to data handled by Health, nearly 500,000 people have passed through the hospital since March 2020. 11.8% had to be admitted in the sixth wave, compared to 23% in the first wave. Hospital pressure has decreased again this Tuesday, and the percentage of occupied beds goes from 15.05% to 14.52%.
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