Dimitris Kouimtsidis
CORONAVIRUS deaths have spiked in Spain over the weekend.
The number of fatalities in the Iberian country on Saturday were ten, but by the end of the weekend that number had risen to 17, representing an increase of 70%.
Along with that, the number of infected patients has risen to 673, a 20% increase to the day before.
This surge is something ‘expected’ according to Fernando Simon, director of the Centre for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies.
60% of the confirmed cases so far are concentrated in three regions: Madrid with more than 200, the Basque Country with more than 100 and La Rioja with 55.
80% of the cases nationwide however, do not require hospitalisation, but instead self-quarantine at home.
Although the spike in deaths is troubling, there are some common themes to the victims.
They’re all old and with previous health problems.
Five of the 17 dead were over 90, eight over 80, three over 70 and one was 69.
Daniel López Acuña, former director of Healthcare in Crisis Situations of the World Health Organization (WHO), does not believe that the quarantine imposed in northern Italy will also occur in Spain.
He said: “The contagions there, were uncontrolled before a containment could be made, especially in Lombardy.
It wasn’t possible to do what so far is being achieved here, isolate and control the cases that are known.”
