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Date Published: 16/12/2021

ARCHIVED - Health experts fear Omicron is already in the Region of Murcia

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Covid cases in Murcia continue to surge as Omicron variant spreads across Spain and the rest of Europe

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Health experts fear Omicron is already in the Region of Murcia

As Covid cases soar across Spain, as well as in the United Kingdom, the Region of Murcia is no exception as the health authorities reported an enormous 1,232 new cases in just 24 hours in the latest update (December 16).

Other Covid indicators, such as daily deaths and hospitalisations, are also on the increase and four further Covid-related fatalities have been reported in the past day: four males aged 44, 65, 69 and 76, three of whom were unvaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Omicron variant has also set alarm bells ringing across the country as experts believe that the strain could already be in the Region of Murcia. The microbiology department in the Virgen de la Arrixaca hospital in Murcia is awaiting confirmation that 1% of all samples analysed in the hospital correspond with the Omicron variant.

The first preliminary tests of the samples gave results compatible with Omicron, but they weren’t conclusive, which is why microbiologists are now carrying out sequencing on the PCR samples.

Across Spain, random PCR samples taken between November 29 and December 5 revealed that between 0 and 0.9% of all Covid cases in the country were of the Omicron variety. In total, Spain has confirmed 36 cases of Omicron (up to Monday December 13) in several different autonomous communities, including the Comunidad Valenciana. Of these 36 cases, 19 were not linked to any international travel to high-risk countries.

This mutation of the virus is also being linked to slightly different symptoms compared to the Delta and Beta strains; Omicron is reportedly causing night-time sweats and losing smell and taste is not a frequent side-effect of this new variant, though it is up to five times more contagious than Delta.

With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, Covid numbers are bound to continue increasing as everyone gathers together with friends and family over the festive period, but health experts are urging the public to exercise extreme caution and responsibility over the holidays. The national government has even been asked to reintroduce a limit on the number of people at tables in bars and restaurants.

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