Date Published: 27/02/2020
ARCHIVED - Murcia health minister warns that a repeat of the Italy coronavirus outbreak is probable in Spain
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
The number of patients in isolated care across Spain rose to 14 on Thursday morning
Manuel Villegas, the head of the Department of Health in the regional government of Murcia, has reiterated that a repeat of the coronavirus scenario which has developed in Italy is “probable” in Spain, while at the same time underlining that “we are prepared” in an effort to reassure the public that the situation is under control.
Similar messages being transmitted all over Spain but there is a risk that panic could spread, and already there are reports that the demand for facemasks has soared by between 8,000 and 10,000 per cent, despite World Health Organization statements to the effect that they represent a sensible precaution only in cases where the wearer is already infected. Such behaviour was already seen in Cartagena this week when Italian cruise ship visitors rushed to pharmacies and bought all the facemask stocks within an hour of arriving.
Instead of buying facemasks, Sr Villegas and the Murcia health service reiterate that the most effective preventative measure for members of the general public is to wash hands frequently, ideally with disinfectant gel, to sneeze and cough into the forearm rather than the hands, to use disposable tissues rather than traditional handkerchiefs and to remain at a distance of 2 metres from people with possible symptoms. The regional minister also repeats the message that Spain’s public health system is the envy of the rest of the world, while at the same time adding that this does not automatically prevent the Covid-19 epidemic from escalating: it simply means that protocols are already in place to deal with such an escalation if it occurs.
The important thing, Sr Villegas has said a number of times over the last 48 hours, is to be prepared, and numerous measures are already in place. A special protocol has been activated for hotels, airports and other areas where numerous travellers congregate to ensure that they are fully informed regarding the procedures to follow if cases are detected, and in the Region of Murcia a request has already been made for people who suspect that they may have contracted to virus to refrain from visiting hospital A&E units and instead contact the emergency services via the 112 phone line. The intention is to minimize the risk of the highly contagious virus being spread further within hospitals, adding the caveat that if a patient is clearly in serious condition then of course the recommendation should be disregarded and hospital treatment should be sought immediately.
In the meantime, two more cases of coronavirus have been reported on Thursday morning in Madrid, meaning that there are now 4 people in isolated care in the national capital and a total of 14 across the country. The first indications are that the new patients are not known to have travelled to a high-risk area recently, and if this is confirmed it means that the case detected in Sevilla on Wednesday is no longer the only one in which infection occurred within Spain.
In order to avoid more false alarms the regional health service of Murcia has announced that it will not make public any more cases in which patients are isolated while coronavirus test results are being awaited. There have been 15 such incidents this week, they explain, and no more news will issued unless the infection is confirmed in patients. Manuel Villegas confirms that this decision has been made in order to combat the “fear factor”, reiterating the need to keep calm.
Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Region of Murcia and the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/