ARCHIVED - First coronavirus death in Spain confirmed in Valencia

The number of cases in Spain is now reported to have risen to 171

The latest data regarding the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Spain confirms a total of 171 positive diagnoses, including three patients who have been given the all-clear and, unfortunately, the first death related to the infection in this country.

The fatality occurred almost three weeks ago in the Comunidad Valenciana when a 69-year-old man passed away after being admitted to the Hospital Arnau de Vilanova with pneumonia, but it is only now that the autopsy results have confirmed that he had contracted the coronavirus. The victim had recently returned from a trip to Nepal and at the time the cause of his pneumonia was unknown, but retrospective analysis has now revealed that antibodies of Covid-19 were present in his body.

Shortly before news of the death was made public the national government had announced the first specific measures to restrict the further spread of the virus, placing restrictions on events where large numbers of people are expected to gather including those travelling from countries considered to be risk areas, especially Italy. However, for the time being the temptation to close schools and implement other drastic measures is being resisted as hopes remain that the infection can be contained.

The restrictions announced will affect certain sporting events which are scheduled over the next few weeks, with top-level competitive fixtures being played behind closed doors, These include the return leg of football’s Champions League tie between Valencia and Atalanta on 10^th March – it was during the first leg in Italy that various Spanish fans and journalists contracted the virus – and the Europa League match between Getafe and Inter Milan on 19^th March, as well as European basketball matches featuring Valencia Basket and Baskonia against Olimpia Milan on 10^th and 25^th March.

In addition, with 13 Spanish medical professionals already known to have contracted Covid-19, all congresses and conferences in the field are banned.

In the meantime, the regions of Murcia, Galicia and Aragón have still not recorded any cases of the coronavirus (along with the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla), but elsewhere the figures continue to rise. At the latest count on Wednesday morning the distribution of the confirmed cases was as follows (although the figures do not add up to the total of 171 as details are not confirmed simultaneously by national and regional authorities):

Madrid – 56

Cataluña – 18

Comunidad Valenciana - 19

Basque Country - 13

Andalucía - 13 + 1 recovery

Cantabria – 10

Canary Islands - 7 + 1 recovery

Castilla y León – 8

Extremadura - 6

Castilla-La Mancha - 7

La Rioja – 3

Balearics 2 + 1 recovery

Navarra - 2

Asturias - 2

One particularly worrying case is that of a 60-year-old primary school teacher in the Madrid district of Montecarmelo, who was taken to hospital with pneumonia on 25th February and only now has the Covid-19 diagnosis been confirmed.

In Andalucía, Catalunya and the Comunidad Valenciana, on the other hand, at present it seems that the spread of the virus has been successfully contained, at least for the time being.

Image 2: Google Maps Street View

Image 3: Salvador Illa, the Minister for Health, addresses members of the press on Tuesday

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