Covid: new infections hit unvaccinated in Spain

Young adults affected in fifth wave of coronavirus

HEALTH Minister Carolina Darias reports that 83% of new cases of Covid-19 in the fifth wave of the pandemic affect unvaccinated people.

The number of infections continues to rise in Spain, but the minister said the rate the disease was spreading was beginning to slow down.

She was speaking after the latest meeting of the Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System, which brings together the central government’s department of health and regional authorities. 

The politician said the 14-day cumulative number of covid cases was 622 in 100,000 people – and while the vast majority of new cases were amongst the unprotected, over the last five weeks 5.5% were among fully vaccinated people and 11.4% affecting those with a single dose.

Infections were highest in the 20 to 29-year-old age group said Darias; where the cumulative number has risen to 1,838 per 100,000 people.

“The speed of the rise in cases has been slowing down over the last few days,” she said, but warned: “The circulation of the virus continues to be high, which means we must continue to act with upmost prudence.”

And the minister said the latest wave of coronavirus had increased pressure on hospitals and, in particular, the primary healthcare system as many of the new infections were affecting the young who just had mild symptoms or were asymptomatic.

She said the rise in hospital admissions had been ‘gentle’ in comparison with other waves of infection and underlined the rollout of vaccination successfully changed the nature of the latest spike in contagion.