In just four weeks, the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of the ómicron family have spread throughout Spain at great speed.

These

lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are behind the current rise in cases and the considerable increase in admissions

.

The data indicate that the probable percentage of BA.4 and BA.5 detected over the total PCR analyzed has gone from 6.5% in the last week of May to almost 70% in the last week of June, according to reports provided. by the Ministry of Health.

Similarly,

the data show an increase in the hospital occupancy rate per 100,000 inhabitants during the same dates

.

In the last week of May it was 14.73, remaining stable until the week of June 20-26, when it rose to 17.32.

The most recent records belong to the week of June 27 to July 3, where a significant and rapid increase in hospital pressure was observed, reaching 21.63 per 100,000 inhabitants.

María del Mar Tomás Carmona, Microbiology doctor at the A Coruña Hospital, researcher at the A Coruña Biomedical Research Institute (Inibic) and spokesperson for the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (Seimc), explains that "

this rise in cases is a combination of factors

, since the variants are mainly affecting older and vulnerable people, who are the ones who come in. However,

it must be taken into account that during the summer there is greater mobility of people

".

The doctor also points out that these new variants seem to be transmitted faster, although everything indicates that their severity is less.

map variants spain

These subvariants seem to have had a special incidence first in South Africa and, later, in Portugal, as confirmed by Tomás Carmona: "These lineages were detected for the first time in

Africa and there were not a large number of hospitalizations because the people are very young

. expanded to Portugal, having an older population, the number of hospitalizations was high.

This is the same reason that explains why there are more hospitalizations in Galicia than in Andalusia

".

On May 8,

Portugal reported the

presence of the BA.4 and BA.5 variants in 37%

of the cases analyzed.

Everything seems to indicate that "a good part of the infections that occurred in Spain during that month were related to contact between people from both countries," says the Inibic researcher.

The reports from the Ministry of Health record the presence of these subvariants in Spanish territory as of week 17. Asturias and Cantabria were the first and only communities to collect data at that time.

However, Galicia stands out, registering 4.9% (1,098 tests) of the total presence of the omicron variant in week 19, followed by 0.7% in Extremadura (153 tests) and 0.6% of Andalusia (432 tests).

In week 21, between May 23 and 29, Galicia continued to lead the percentage of presence of the subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 of Covid (26.9% of 819 tests analyzed), followed by Castilla y León ( 13% of 338), Catalonia (12.9% of 466) and Andalusia (12.2% of 329).

The latest report published by the Ministry of Health indicates that the Balearic Islands (89.7% of 437), Galicia (87.6% of 1,109) and Extremadura (86.7% of 75) are the communities with the highest proportion of cases Covid of these lineages today.

HOSPITAL PRESSURE ON THE RISE

Regarding the hospital occupancy rate per 100,000 inhabitants since the end of May, Galicia (22.78) and Castilla y León (27.44) stand out.

Currently the list is headed by Catalonia (36.47), the Community of Madrid (34.02), Castilla y León (32.44), Galicia (28.9), Asturias (28.66), Castilla la Mancha ( 27.76) and the Balearic Islands (26.51).

hospitalization rate

The data sheds light on

a clear increase in beds occupied by Covid income in Spain compared to the same dates in 2021

.

Thus, compared to the 2,723 patients admitted on July 5 of last year, the figure multiplied to reach 11,586, according to the latest available data.

According to the Ministry of Health, "the first in vitro studies indicate that

previous infection by the BA.1 lineage

could offer a lower degree of protection against BA.4 and BA.5 than that observed against BA.2

".

However, although a possible pattern seems to be seen, it would be risky to link the growth in infections caused by the new lineages of the omicron variant with the increase in hospital occupancy rates.

Thus, we observe that, for example,

in Andalusia the employment rate remains low despite the high presence of these new subvariants in this community

.

Dr. Tomás Carmona warns that preventive measures must be maintained, especially with the immunocompromised to prevent them from becoming infected.

He also points out, like the European Medicines Agency, that the fourth dose should be reconsidered for those over 80 years of age and residents.

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Know more

  • Omicron variant

  • covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Vaccines

  • regrowth

  • Galicia

  • Estremadura

  • Castile and Leon

  • Asturias

  • Portugal

  • Madrid's community

  • Cantabria

  • Africa