The incidence falls in Spain for the first time since October, and goes to 3,306.52 cases, 91 points less than this Monday, when Health reported 3,397.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. At the end of October, the incidence rate was around 49 cases and the country registered daily incidence figures that barely varied by a few tenths. In November, the incidence curve progressively began its upward trend, and at the time of the Christmas holidays this sixth wave led to maximums in both daily infections and cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Now, the incidence shows a slight drop again, although Spain continues at the highest levels of risk of contagion, according to the Health criteria.
94,472 new infections have been registered, with which more than eight and a half million people have been infected by the coronavirus. After the weekend, the number of positives amounted to 331,467 people. This is the lowest figure recorded since December 23, 2021, when the Ministry reported 72,912 infections. However, Murcia has not updated its data due to technical problems.
284 people have died from COVID-19 on this last day, the highest daily figure since March 26, 2021, when 590 deaths were recorded; although it should be remembered that the number of reported deaths may correspond to different days. In total, Health has reported 91,277 deaths since the start of the health crisis.
The percentage of beds occupied by COVID patients has increased, going from 15.13% to 15.17%. On the other hand, the percentage of occupancy in the ICU decreased slightly and went from 23.83% to 23.69%. By autonomous communities, three regions have exceeded the figures for the worst hospital occupancy before starting the vaccination strategy: Euskadi, the Canary Islands and Cantabria.
How is the epidemic evolving and how are we regarding the 3rd wave?
Evolution of cases and deaths reported, those hospitalized and those admitted to the ICU each day, the variation in last 7 days and the comparison with the peak of the 3rd wave of the pandemic
Source: Ministry of Health
Almost all age groups show a decrease in incidence, with people between the ages of 12 and 19, as well as those between 30 and 39, registering less than 4,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Most cases focus on people between 20 and 29 years old, while those with a lower rate are those between 70 and 79.
By autonomous communities, Navarre continues to lead the incidence, with 5,974 cases; Aragon, which registers 5,882; and Euskadi, with 5,681 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The regions that have recorded a greater increase in daily infections are Madrid, with 14,541 positives; Valencian Community, with 13,196; and Andalusia, with 10,100 new infections.
More than 18 million people have a souvenir dose in Spain
The number of people with a booster dose in Spain amounts to 18,092,445, according to the latest update from the Ministry of Health. Almost 80% (79.9%) of those initially vaccinated with AstraZeneca have this immune booster, while 68.1% of those who received the Janssen dose already have the extra vaccine.
On the other hand, the injection against COVID-19 has been administered to almost half of the children between 5 and 11 years old (45%), who were the last to join the vaccination strategy.
In addition, 92.5% of those over 12 years of age have at least one anti-COVID puncture, and 90.5%, the complete guideline.
Source: Ministry of Health (data updated to )
Genetic risk factor identified for COVID-associated loss of smell or taste
A new study, carried out by the American biotech company 23andMe, reveals a genetic risk factor that influences the likelihood that an individual will experience loss of smell or taste as symptoms of COVID-19. The finding is published today in the journal Nature Genetics.
According to the authors of the work, the genetic locus – the specific place where a gene or other DNA sequence is located on a chromosome – located in the vicinity of the UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 genes is associated with an 11% increase in the probability of developing either of these symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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