Coronavirus: more than 1000 dead in Spain, where "the worst days are yet to come"

Text by: RFI Follow

The symbolic barrier of 1,000 deaths from coronavirus was crossed in Spain on Friday. The number of people infected approaches 20,000, or nearly 3,000 additional cases in one day. The death toll increased tenfold in seven days. One of the most affected countries in Europe, Spain is preparing to face "the hardest days" of the pandemic.

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The majority of the patients are in Madrid , then come Catalonia and the Basque Country. Half of the infected people were hospitalized. 1 in 10 is in intensive care. To cope with the explosion of cases, thousands of medical students and retired doctors or nurses were called in for reinforcements.

But health professionals denounce a lack of resources, in particular surgical masks. The Order of Physicians mentions a situation that is " unsustainable " for caregivers. The Minister of Health promised some 300,000 masks very quickly. They must arrive from Germany. Authorities also acknowledged that Spain lacked kits for testing for Coronavirus.

As some emergency departments were saturated, the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine recommended " prioritizing " patients with " the longest life expectancy ". " The worst days are yet to come, " warned Minister of Health Salvador Illa.

The army is mobilized in Madrid to transport the bodies of the victims, each day more numerous. In the Spanish capital, the Trade Fair pavilions will accommodate 5,500 additional beds. In Barcelona, ​​it, a pavilion of its trade fair and tourist apartments will be used to house its homeless.

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• Spain
• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine

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