Updated March 28
The figures increase with the passing of the hours, while we hope to reach the peak of the curve as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the call is to follow everyone at home ...
The Coronavirus has forced millions of people to be locked up and keeps the world on their toes. From Canary Doctor we edit this note constantly, to keep you up to date on its progress.
The reality is that it is difficult to keep up with the coronavirus. Their numbers advance very quickly. On March 8, for example, we told you that there were "100.000 cases in 78 countries (the vast majority in China), 7 positive in Canary Islands and more than 3.000 deaths in the world." Today, with the increase in cases, these figures seem like history.
Thanks to the confinement of citizens in Spain and many other countries in the world, we are facing a pandemic that keeps the world in check. Together, we will achieve it.
Coronavirus: a review of the situation in February and March
Also known as "Wuhan pneumonia" is a virus that keeps the whole world on alert. At the time of editing this note, We knew these data about his time in Canary Islands:
- 671 infected and 23 deceased in Tenerife
- 253 infected and 9 deceased in Gran Canaria
- 43 infected and 1 patient died in La Palma
- 25 infected and no deceased in Fuerteventura
- 24 infected and 3 people died in Lanzarote
- 6 infected and no deceased in La Gomera
- 3 infected and no deceased in El Hierro
- La Graciosa to this day, it remains at the margin of this virus without any registered case.
But these data, which we hope will not continue to grow rapidly, have nothing to do with the radiograph from just a couple of months ago. We remind you, below, of what was news at the beginning of the advance of COVID-19 by the Canary Islands. It seems that it was a long time ago from these data:
Early March and the first deceased in Spain:
- On March 3, the registration of the first deceased by Coronavirus in Spain. It was a 69-year-old Spaniard who He died in Valencia on February 13 after several days with a strong pneumonia of unknown origin. It was learned by post-mortem tests, that the patient was positive in Coronavirus.
- On that same date (March 3), they were counted 78 countries with patients with Coronavirus (Covid-19). In Europe, the case of Italy, with more than 2.500 cases and almost 80 deaths related to the Wuhan virus.
End of February and the cases of the Hotel in the south of Tenerife:
- last known positive -for that date- on the islands he was a British patient, who arrived on February 23 to Tenerife, to spend his vacations in the south of Tenerife (staying at the Hotel H10 Costa Adeje Palace). Recall that it was the next day (February 24), when the protocol was activated by Coronavirus in that place.
- Remember that it was Monday, February 24, when we met the positive of the Italian doctor and his wife, who were staying in that same hotel in Adeje (Tenerife).
- Later, we learned that two new italian tourists, staying in the same hotel in the south of Tenerife and close to the doctor - also Italian - with the virus, they gave "positive" by Coronavirus. The news was shared by the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, via Twitter, last Wednesday, February 26.
- As part of the established protocol, in this hotel, they were isolated 800 guests of 25 different nationalities; and 200 workers. 250 with
Coronavirus cases in the world
Recall other data that was news:
- 1st deceased outside of China
On February 2, it was learned of the first death from Coronavirus outside of China. It was a 44-year-old male, of Chinese nationality, who died in the Philippines. About this patient, we know that he was the companion of a 38-year-old woman, who also carried the virus. She had arrived in the Philippines from Wuhan (with a stopover in Hong Kong). After this event, we also know that the Philippines issued a temporary ban on entering the archipelago, to those people who have had contact in the last 14 days, with mainland China, Macao or Hong Kong. Further, A second death occurred outside of mainland China, specifically in Hong Kong.
- For his part, the first deceased in Europe by Coronavirus, He was a patient in France. It was an 80-year-old Chinese tourist who died in a Parisian hospital.
Coronavirus, a review of the first case in Spain: La Gomera (Canary Islands)
- The news of the beginning of February was the Confirmation by Health that in fact one of the cases in La Gomera tested positive and thus became the first case of Coronavirus in Spain. At a press conference, Health confirmed that this patient was in a room isolated from the rest of German tourists, who were in "quarantine."
Recall other outstanding information about the presence of the Coronavirus in our archipelago ...
- The German tourist who was under observation in La Gomera, case number 1 of Coronavirus in Spain, has already been discharged.
- This patient gave positive 3 times; although it always stood out, the little presence of symptoms. For this reason, Health maintained the isolation of this patient and extended it until the analysis was negative, which already happened at the end of February.
- Also remember that four German patient companions with Coronavirus in La Gomera, they were discharged and they stayed in an apartment on the island, where they were followed Following up until Friday, February 14. After this, they had freedom of movement.
- another travel companion of this group of German tourists who was never hospitalized, and who always remained asymptomatic, enjoyed such freedom of movement much earlier than the rest.
How was the protocol activated?
- Health isolated these 5 tourists from Germany The reason? 2 of them had been in contact in Germany with a patient which later tested positive (Coronavirus) before traveling to our archipelago. And the other 3 had lived with these 2 Germans later.
- These 5 people remained in the Our Lady of Guadalupe hospital in La Gomera: 1 of them remained isolated for a longer time (the one that tested positive even 3 times), with mild symptoms and evolving well. While the rest, as we told you, were previously discharged.
The protocol continued, under the security measures that have been established for this occasion.
Further…
- Sources from the ministries reported at that time that "it does not mean a greater alert in the country and the risk of the epidemic spreading in Spain remains low ”. To this day, we know that unfortunately the risk was real.
Other data that were "Headlines" related to the Coronavirus
- group of Spaniards who traveled from Wuhan to our country, landed the afternoon of Friday, January 31 in the United Kingdom and then arrived in Madrid, in mafter the activation of a security protocol.
- It is known that these 21 Spaniards who arrived in Wuhan were isolated for 14 days in a hospital. How all have been negative in successive tests made during your quarantine of 14 days and also, none has presented symptoms, were discharged.
- WHO declared on January 30: global health alert. This is the sixth time that the World Health Organization has declared such an alert.
- We learned on Monday, February 17, after the presentation of data from the WHO, that the risk of death increases as you age; and on the contrary, it is a virus that is affecting children to a very low extent.
What was the initial Protocol that was activated in Spain like?
El protocol it has evolved and varied to adapt to each new stage of the Coronavirus advance. The initial protocol, prepared by the Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities established that the samples of all suspicious patients They would be forwarded to the CNM, which is the reference laboratory and the one that could officially confirm the existence of cases. According to the initial protocol, from the end of January 2020, the suspected patients were those who suffered a respiratory condition and that they had also recently been in the area of Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak or in direct contact with people who have the virus.
Salvador Island, Minister of Health, assured at the time that prevention and detection mechanisms were working. Since Friday, January 24, they activated the Ministry's Alerts and Emergencies Coordination Center, which works with experts and autonomous communities.
In this sense, the spanish hospitals they wanted to anticipate the arrival of the coronaviruses; but in communities like Madrid, it was not possible. Although at that time the Ministry of Health considered the risk of the virus to be unleashed in our country "very low", the objective of Spanish hospitals was always to train emergency personnel and provide tools for rapid diagnosis of patients who can enter with the coronavirus.
Today, the situation in many hospitals is difficult, due to the collapse of the emergency department and the lack of adequate medical equipment. But without any doubt, the perseverance, struggle and know-how of our doctors and health personnel, together with the work and help of thousands of professionals from different sectors, they are dealing with the virus. Our applause for all those who are doing their bit and also for all the citizens who are in their homes, helping with this gesture, so that the COVID-19 does not continue to spread. Together, we will emerge from this difficult situation.
What is coronavirus and what are its symptoms?
The coronavirus They are a large family of viruses, some of which can cause various human diseases, ranging from common cold, until severe acute respiratory syndrome.
The symptom most common include: cough, sore throat, fever and feeling short of breath. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, significant difficulty breathing, kidney failure and even the death. The most serious cases usually occur in elderly people or who suffer from some other specific condition, such as heart, the lung o immunity problems.
How can Coronavirus be spread?
Although it is not yet known with certainty, it is estimated that the transmission occurs through contact with infected animals or by contact with respiratory secretions that are generated with the cough or sneeze of an already infected person.
As the world continues to watch developments unfold, scientists from various countries continue to work on creating a vacuna.