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ARCHIVED - 3rd April Spain update: government studies lockdown extension as the death toll reaches almost 11,000
The virus multiplies 1,000 times faster than the SARS virus of 2002 and is present in the throat as well as the lungs
The latest national figures presented on Friday for coronavirus cases in Spain show a further 932 deaths in the last 24 hours, although there are also signs that the spread of Covid-19 may be beginning to slow (see below), and the government is preparing to present a motion in Congress next week to prolong the state of emergency and the lockdown for another two weeks until 26th April. This is a measure which will doubtless gain approval despite fierce recent criticisms of the way the emergency is being handled from opposition parties.
Among the data being quoted by critics is the fact that 3,000 residents of homes for the elderly in the region of Madrid died during March alone, representing 6 per cent of the 52,000 people who began the month living in one of the 475 centres. The figure quoted by the president of the regional government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, includes all causes of death, but if it is compared to the figure announced just a week beforehand it indicates that almost 2,000 people lost their lives in the last week of the month alone.
Meanwhile, further insights into the nature of the Covid-19 virus and why it has spread so rapidly have been provided by research performed in Germany. An in-depth study of nine young people who contracted the virus concludes that it multiplies 1,000 times more quickly than the SARS virus which appeared in China in 2002, when it claimed almost 800 lives before the outbreak was curbed.
The nine cases studied were detected in Munich on 27th January, making them the first coronavirus patients in Europe after they were infected during a training course also attended by Chinese nationals. Among the conclusions reached by Doctor Clemens Wendtner is that the virus multiplies not only in the lungs, as did the SARS virus in 2002, but also in the throat, where it is incredibly active during the first week in which symptoms are apparent.
The research also finds that the peak of contagion is reached before the fifth day and that the virus remains active for only 8 days in mild cases, but although these timespans are shorter than in the 2002 SARS virus the presence of the infection in the throats of patients with few symptoms helps it to spread rapidly through the population: for this reason the WHO recommends that anyone experiencing a cough should wear a facemask.
Another startling finding is that once it is inside a human cell a coronavirus can produce as many as 100,000 copies of itself in just 24 hours.
The ease with which Covid-19 is transmitted from one person to another without the transmitter being aware that he or she is a carrier explains how single events such as the football match played by Valencia against Atalanta in northern Italy on 19th February helped to cause the spread of the outbreak in Spain. Various journalists and fans returning to Spain tested positive soon afterwards as enthusiasm regarding the Champions League brought the virus to eastern Spain, and soon it was established in all parts of the country.
Similarly, it can be said with hindsight that massive events like the marches on 8th March (International Women’s Day) were probably instrumental in Spain becoming one of the worst affected countries during the pandemic. It is impossible to calculate how many people were infected during the events held across the country, but it is unlikely to be mere coincidence that the number of cases in Madrid began to shoot up over the following days, the patients including prominent political leaders who attended demonstrations.
LATEST DATA ON 3rd APRIL
The latest figures made public on 3rd April show that there have now been 117,710 cases of the coronavirus confirmed in Spain, following a rise of 7,472 since the day before. This is lower than the daily increases which were being reported earlier in the week and at the same time the number of people in intensive care in Madrid has actually fallen slightly, but another 932 fatalities were reported on Friday, bringing the total so far up to 10,935.
The positive side of the statistical bulletin is that a further 3,770 patients have made complete recoveries, meaning that 30,513 people have now been given the all-clear since the pandemic reached Spain.
Although tester kits are now starting to arrive in Spain and more tests are beginning, the number of cases is known to be significantly higher than these reported figures, so maintaining lockdown is crucial to stem the spread of the virus.
Remember: LOCKDOWN MEANS LOCKDOWN. STAY AT HOME. STAY SAFE AND DO YOUR BIT TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS.
Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest updates locally for the Region of Murcia and the main information for the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/.
Our local area groups are as follows. These are designed to filter locally specific information and may be used by clubs, charities, any of the businesses who work with us to ensure information is available to residents in English and for those living in the specific areas. They are not buy and sell groups, do not accept any bickering or argumentative so and so's, are not "open for any old rubbish" pages, and are not trying to compete with your local comunity groups, they are specifically for sharing good, relevant local information and we hope you will use them for that during this difficult time.
Around Mazarrón news, events and local info: Click to join
Mazarrón, Fuente Álamo, Águilas, Lorca, Totana, Puerto Lumbreras, Camposol, Alhama de Murcia. Click to join (all within a half hour drive of each other)
Mar Menor news, events and local info. Click to join (this includes all the Mar Menor municipalities and Cartagena)
North-west Murcia: Bullas, Mula, Cehegin, Caravaca, Cieza, Calasparra, Jumilla, Moratalla info. Click to join
What to do if you are in the Region of Murcia and believe you may have contracted the virus
The regional government has set up a special helpline to supply information to members of the public (900 121212) if they suspect that they may have contracted the virus rather than going straight to hospital or to a medical centre.
Sensible precautions
The advice being issued to members of the public by medical authorities all over the world coincides on the following points:
- Wash hands frequently with either soap and water or a sanitiser gel
- Catch coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues – and throw the tissues away immediately after use before immediately washing your hands!
- If you don’t have a tissue, use your sleeve – and wash the item of clothing used at the next opportunity
- AVOID touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- AVOID close contact with people who are unwell
- Don´t panic!