- Region
- Águilas
- Alhama de Murcia
- Jumilla
- Lorca
- Los Alcázares
- Mazarrón
- San Javier
-
ALL AREAS & TOWNS
- AREAS
- SOUTH WEST
- MAR MENOR
- MURCIA CITY & CENTRAL
- NORTH & NORTH WEST
- TOWNS
- Abanilla
- Abarán
- Aguilas
- Alamillo
- Alcantarilla
- Aledo
- Alhama de Murcia
- Archena
- Balsicas
- Blanca
- Bolnuevo
- Bullas
- Cañadas del Romero
- Cabo de Palos
- Calasparra
- Camping Bolnuevo
- Campo De Ricote
- Camposol
- Canada De La Lena
- Caravaca de la Cruz
- Cartagena
- Cehegin
- Ceuti
- Cieza
- Condado de Alhama
- Corvera
- Costa Cálida
- Cuevas De Almanzora
- Cuevas de Reyllo
- El Carmoli
- El Mojon
- El Molino (Puerto Lumbreras)
- El Pareton / Cantareros
- El Raso
- El Valle Golf Resort
- Fortuna
- Fuente Alamo
- Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
- Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
- Isla Plana
- Islas Menores & Mar de Cristal
- Jumilla
- La Azohia
- La Charca
- La Manga Club
- La Manga del Mar Menor
- La Pinilla
- La Puebla
- La Torre
- La Torre Golf Resort
- La Unión
- Las Palas
- Las Ramblas
- Las Ramblas Golf
- Las Torres de Cotillas
- Leiva
- Librilla
- Lo Pagan
- Lo Santiago
- Lorca
- Lorquí
- Los Alcázares
- Los Balcones
- Los Belones
- Los Canovas
- Los Nietos
- Los Perez (Tallante)
- Los Urrutias
- Los Ventorrillos
- Mar De Cristal
- Mar Menor
- Mar Menor Golf Resort
- Mazarrón
- Mazarrón Country Club
- Molina de Segura
- Moratalla
- Mula
- Murcia City
- Murcia Property
- Pareton
- Peraleja Golf Resort
- Perin
- Pilar de la Horadada
- Pinar de Campoverde
- Pinoso
- Playa Honda
- Playa Honda / Playa Paraíso
- Pliego
- Portmán
- Pozo Estrecho
- Puerto de Mazarrón
- Puerto Lumbreras
- Puntas De Calnegre
- Region of Murcia
- Ricote
- Roda Golf Resort
- Roldan
- Roldan and Lo Ferro
- San Javier
- San Pedro del Pinatar
- Santiago de la Ribera
- Sierra Espuña
- Sucina
- Tallante
- Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
- Torre Pacheco
- Totana
- What's On Weekly Bulletin
- Yecla
- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Alicante Today Andalucia Today
ARCHIVED - More extensive testing in Spain causes increase in reported coronavirus cases
A review of the calculations in Catalunya reveals over 3,000 more fatalities
At a time when the Spanish government and regional health authorities all over the country are expressing guarded optimism that the peak of the coronavirus pandemic may have been overcome in most parts of the country, the daily update of the figures which was released on Wednesday morning may have seemed to contradict the assertion that the worst has now passed.
Although the number of new deaths confirmed dropped slightly to 523 in the data relating to Tuesday, the most eye-catching figure was the 4,978 new cases confirmed. This is considerably higher than the figures released on the previous two days and was in fact the highest for five days, but in many ways this apparent upturn in the spread of the virus was only to be expected due to the number of tests performed beginning to increase significantly all over the country.
It has been known for some weeks that the reported number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Spain is drastically understated due to the lack of available testing equipment and resources, with some calculations estimating that there may actually be as many as 10 times more people infected than the official figures suggest. In other words, with Wednesday’s bulletin reporting a cumulative total of 177,633 confirmed cases in Spain, the “real” total could be 1.7 million, a figure which would bring the fatality rate among those cases down to a little over 1 per cent – in line with what most experts believe to be the true morbidity of SARS-Covid-2.
Ever since the coronavirus began to spread around the world the WHO has advocated as much testing among the population as possible, and now that rapid kits have arrived the Spanish government is at last able to embark on a program of massive testing. This will not have any direct on the level of contagion (although of course it will inevitably result in more cases coming to light) but it will provide invaluable information regarding the real spread of the virus and what aspects of lockdown might be relaxed in the next few months.
At the same time, it means that more cases are being reported of infections which would otherwise have gone unreported. Logically, most of these concern people with only mild symptoms or none at all, rather than those who require hospital treatment, and the fact that they are coming to light now does not mean that the virus is suddenly becoming more virulent: it just means that little by little the proportion of the population affected is becoming more apparent.
Contagion in the home is a major source of transmission
On Wednesday this resulted in the cumulative total of cases confirmed rising by 2.95 per cent as opposed to only 1.79 per cent the day before, in line with the government’s expectations, underlining the fact that the risk of infection is far from over. Instead, with the lockdown in place, many new cases will now involve the virus being transmitted within the home, where it is as important as ever to maintain the practices of frequent hand-washing disinfecting shopping with bleach or bicarbonate of soda.
In a sense, of course, this “indoor transmission” of the coronavirus is what has already caused such high numbers of deaths in residences for the elderly across Spain, and the Minister for Health has repeatedly stressed the importance not only of observing the lockdown but of maintaining strict routines at home and of isolating anyone with suspected symptoms.
A graphic example on a relatively small scale of how increased testing will inevitably push to number of reported cases upwards was reported on Wednesday in the Region of Murcia, where now that more rapid testing kits are available 423 tests have been performed in homes for the elderly. The results showed that 24 per cent of those tested – just over 100 people – have already had Covid-19 without noticing any serious ill effect and are now fully recovered, and it can only be assumed that there are thousands if not millions of similar cases all over Spain.
This should not come as a surprise. For some time now the authorities have been quite open about expecting increases when testing becomes more widespread, and the latest news fully justifies this expectation. If anything, it ought to increase the credibility of the same health authorities when they express the opinion that the peak of the emergency has passed, although the numbers may not reflect that for some time.
The death toll in Catalunya suddenly doubles
Unfortunately, it is not only the number of cases which has so far been understated in the official daily updates on the development of the pandemic: in some cases the death toll has also been incompletely reported until now. This aspect was also highlighted on Wednesday when the regional government of Catalunya announced that the coronavirus death toll in the region was not 3,855, as the Department of Health had reported, but 7,097 – a sudden increase of 85 per cent.
The addition of 3,242 fatalities to the statistics is the result of adopting a more complete way of compiling the data, and not of a sudden surge of deaths. Previously the only Covid-related deaths reported were those which occurred in hospitals and other medical facilities, but now more information has been gathered regarding those who have died in old people’s residences or in their own homes.
It is also reported in Catalunya that the number of cases of coronavirus, which had been reported as being 36,505, is actually 94,832: in this case the huge difference is due to untested patients with virus-like symptoms being included, although of course the “extra” cases are only “probables”.
Again, it is important to stress that none of this means that the coronavirus lockdown is not working, or that the virus has found a way to beat it. The news is unwelcome, of course, but it is merely the result of more cases and fatalities being detected – most of them after the event, necessitating a sudden adjustment of the statistics.
Perhaps it is worth bearing in mind that although the number of cases and fatalities are two of the most striking statistics to be produced, arguably the most important in measuring the progress of the pandemic in Spain relate to the number of people receiving hospital treatment – any decrease means that the health service is slightly less overstretched - and the difference between new cases diagnosed and recoveries. Only when recoveries exceed new cases for various consecutive days will it be possible to say that at last Spain is “winning” in the battle against the coronavirus.
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!
Cartagena
El Carmoli
Islas Menores and Mar de Cristal
La Manga Club
La Manga del Mar Menor
La Puebla
La Torre Golf Resort
La Union
Los Alcazares
Los Belones
Los Nietos
Los Urrutias
Mar Menor Golf Resort
Pilar de la Horadada
Playa Honda / Playa Paraiso
Portman
Roldan and Lo Ferro
San Javier
San Pedro del Pinatar
Santa Rosalia Lake and Life resort
Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
Torre Pacheco
Aledo
Alhama de Murcia
Bolnuevo
Camposol
Condado de Alhama
Fuente Alamo
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
Lorca
Mazarron
Puerto de Mazarron
Puerto Lumbreras
Sierra Espuna
Totana
Abaran
Alcantarilla
Archena
Blanca
Corvera
El Valle Golf Resort
Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
Lorqui
Molina de Segura
Mosa Trajectum
Murcia City
Peraleja Golf Resort
Ricote
Sucina
Condado de Alhama
El Valle Golf Resort
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
Islas Menores and Mar de Cristal
La Manga Club
La Torre Golf Resort
Mar Menor Golf Resort
Mazarron Country Club
Mosa Trajectum
Peraleja Golf Resort
Santa Rosalia Lake and Life resort
Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
La Zenia
Lomas de Cabo Roig
CAMPOSOL TODAY Whats OnCartagena SpainCoronavirusCorvera Airport MurciaMurcia Gota Fria 2019Murcia property news generic threadWeekly Bulletin