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ARCHIVED - Widespread coronavirus testing begins in Murcia
The health service plans to test one in six of the entire Murcia population
In recent days, with more coronavirus testing equipment having become available, the number of tests performed in the Region of Murcia has risen significantly, the first two days between 200 and 600 tests and increasing to nearly 900 on Wednesday. The rate of testing is likely to climb much higher as the health service plans to carry out a total of 260,000 rapid antibody tests in the near future.
These rapid tests, it should be remembered, do not test for Covid-19 itself but for the antibodies which the immune system produces to combat infection. For this reason it is relatively unreliable in newly infected patients, but at the same time it is capable of revealing cases of patients who have already recovered without presenting serious symptoms, as the antibodies remain present after the virus itself has disappeared.
At present the Murcia health service (SMS) has taken delivery of 60,000 rapid testing kits and is planning to acquire another 200,000, making it possible to test around one sixth of the entire population of the Region and thus estimate with a high degree of accuracy the proportion of people who have contracted the virus.
Already this week the rapid testing kits are in use at the health centres of San Andrés in Murcia, Jesús Marín in Molina de Segura and San Antón, in Cartagena, as well as at Virgen de la Arrixaca and Morales Meseguer hospitals in Murcia, the Santa Lucia hospital in Cartagena and 6 special Covid-19 points in the rest of the Region (in Murcia, Cartagena, Lorca, Yecla and Caravaca de la Cruz). As of next week it is planned to extend the testing all over the Region, with patients being given prior appointments, ideally around two weeks after first noting virus-related symptoms.
Priority is being given to over 20,000 people considered as “probables” in terms of infection on account of the symptoms they have presented, and another 22,000 who are known to have been in close contact with confirmed cases. All of these people are self-isolating and are being monitored by family doctors over the phone.
In addition, the testing kits have already been used in Murcia at four homes for the elderly and one for the disabled (these have been the worst coronavirus “hotspots” all over Spain), the results showing that around 24 per cent of those tested (101 out of 423) have already overcome infection. The infection rates were highest at the homes in Abanilla (39 per cent) and Santomera (34 per cent), but below one in five at the Orpea residence in Cartagena (17.3 per cent) and Caser Residencial in Santo Ángel (13.4 per cent), as well as at the centre for the disabled in Churra (12.7 per cent).
Unfortunately, the slower but more reliable PCR tests to detect Covid-19 cannot be made more widespread at present, according to regional health minister Manuel Villegas, due to a shortage of the necessary equipment although these tests are continuing and are focusing specifically on those believed to require medical treatment for the virus .
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!
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