Vaccination, the lower lethality of the new variants, the removal of the mask indoors, the possibility of leading a normal life in case of contagion … There are many factors that have put the social perception of the covid almost on a par with that of the covid other viral diseases. This season, the flu almost causes more fear – in the first month of joint immunization, 75,000 Basques received the flu shot more than the coronavirus booster dose – but the reality is that SARS-CoV-2, far from disappearing , continues to disrupt the daily lives of thousands of people. Many of the infected choose teleworking, although in other cases, either because of the type of employment or because the symptoms do not allow it, they have to resort to sick leave. And, in just one month, these disabilities have doubled in Euskadi.
The increase was verified by Mutualia, and it is significant because it is the majority mutual society of the Basque Country, with more than 400,000 employees connected. In September, according to managed data, 717 temporary disabilities were issued, although it is estimated that 1,630 were released. In October they processed 1,419, which would mean about 3,225 overall.
positive
Last week, 1,241 cases were diagnosed among the risk groups
The claims due to the effects of the covid accounted for by the collaborating institution of the Social Security only include cases confirmed with a diagnostic test, which from the change of strategy initiated at the beginning of the year are limited to people at risk. In essence, these are people over the age of 60, immunosuppressed, pregnant women and workers in health or social health areas. If the rest of the population is sick, doctors grant sick leave for fever, respiratory problems …
Among the aforementioned priority sectors, the only ones to have access to the Osakidetza tests, the infected were between 31 October and 6 November almost double compared to the beginning of September. In those seven days, the Basque health service validated 1,241 positives, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin, published last Monday.
Amaia Mayor, secretary of the SATSE of Bizkaia, assures that, “since the beginning of October, we have seen a lot of influenza A, a lot of covid and also people with both diseases at the same time”, although the situation is “normal”, without the collapse that Primary Care lived early in the year for the barrage of positives.
Dimension
In January the victims were 50,029, although in October 2021 the figure was similar to the current one, with 1,831
hospital normality
“Most of those affected are fine; there is not so much ICU and ward hospitalization, ”she explains. According to the latest report, 193 people were hospitalized and 8 critical units were hospitalized. Just a year ago, 24 patients were in intensive care.
The figure, therefore, has nothing to do with that of January, in the midst of a Christmas hangover and when the victims of the coronavirus managed by Mutualia reached the figure of 50,929. Nor the number of tests, since 197,421 were carried out in the week from 3 to 9 January, while in the first of November 10,483 were validated.
The current situation, according to information provided by the mutual society, is similar to that of a year ago at this time. In October 2021, they processed 1,831 sick leave due to the incidence of SARS-CoV-2. But in November they multiplied to 5,623 and in December they added 26,157.
