ARCHIVED - Catalan doctors warn of the dangers of coronavirus negationists

"Frivolous conspiracy theories" could contribute to a third wave, leading medics warn

Leading medical practitioners in Barcelona have issued a warning that those who rail against the restrictions currently in place on movement and social gatherings could represent a danger to public health, encouraging others to disregard the measures which have been designed to slow the second wave of coronavirus contagion and to prevent a third wave.

Basing their opinions on conspiracy theories related to the loss of personal freedom caused by restrictions designed to counter the spread of the pandemic, negationists are calling for the curfew to be abandoned and other restrictions to be lifted. In an attempt to justify their fear that Spain is becoming a “police state”, some even claim that official figures show that fewer people have died in this country this year than in 2019: in reality, anyone can check in under a minute on the website of the government’s central statistics unit and see that the number of deaths was 18.7 per cent higher than last year in the first 45 weeks of 2020.

Unfortunately, some of these negationists are high-profile public figures, such as Donald Trump, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and, in Spain, singer and actor Miguel Bosé, and in response the official College of Doctors in Barcelona (COMB) have expressed their concern over the misleading and “frivolous” opinions voiced by the “minority”. Gustavo Tolchinsky, the secretary of COMB, finds it hard to believe that the negationists are still maintaining their position, and calls on the press to act responsibly in giving less prominence to such opinions.

Sr Tolchinsky’s frustration is shared by leading doctors at hospitals throughout the Barcelona area, all of whom agree that the only way to combat negationism is through the publication of real, justified, clear fact. This in turn requires honest and transparent journalism, according to Jordi Mancebo, the head of intensive care at the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona.

As if to underline the dangers of playing down the risk of a third wave of the pandemic, the latest figures for the region of Catalunya on Tuesday (published by the Department of Health in the regional government) show that for the first time since 23rd October the outbreak risk index rose, reaching 201 points, while the Rt rate of propagation increased by 0.06 points to 0.84.