The latest update on the epidemiological situation of the coronavirus (covid-19), made public on the 26th by the Regional Ministry of Health, has once again shown that the virus is still present in our lives. In fact, according to the latest data, between June 21 and July 26, 17 people with a positive diagnosis of covid have died in the province, 11 of whom in Caupa and the rest in residences or private homes. According to the records provided by the Regional Ministry of Health, if until July 21 a total of 783 deaths had been recorded in the Río Carrión hospital either directly due to coronavirus or with a positive diagnosis of the virus, the latest report reflects that this number has risen to 794.
The report also highlights that since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 until 26 July, a total of 10,182 people had died in the province, of which 1,657 (1,640 as of 21 June) were directly or indirectly killed by SARS-Cov-2.
As for the number of patients hospitalized in the ward, the data is much more positive than a month ago, since at the end of June there were 15 patients admitted with a positive diagnosis for coronavirus, a month later the figure has been reduced to four. In addition, there are no patients in the Critical Care Unit affected by the virus.
Furthermore, the report from the Acute Respiratory Infections Surveillance Programme (Vigira) indicates that the incidence rate of Covid-19 among the vulnerable population or those over 60 years of age at 14 days is 206.43 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (the average in Castilla y León is 207.32), while the seven-day rate is 83.64 cases compared to 95.82 in the community.
The report prepared by the Board concludes by indicating that there are currently four health professionals in Palencia who are affected by the virus: three assistants and one technician.
NEW VARIANTS. Last June, the Ministry of Health recommended following the usual guidelines to protect the most vulnerable. In a message posted on the social network X, it explained that, even if the symptoms are mild, it is necessary to continue taking certain precautions. Behind the increase in hospitalizations and infections at that time was the advance of Omicron sublineages.
Specifically, the Omicron A.2.86 subvariant, known as Pirola, whose incidence was already notable in December of last year. In addition, months earlier, in August, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it as a “variant under surveillance” and shortly after elevated it to “variant of interest.”
In recent weeks, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported a new set of variants detected in wastewater surveillance. This is FLiRT and threatens to cause a new wave of Covid infections, which were already under control after the increase in cases last December.
However, it is worth remembering that in May 2023, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) of the European Union declared that Covid-19 was no longer considered a public health emergency at the international level.
