The Minister of Health, Caroline Darias, has announced that on February 7 the Council of Ministers will approve the end of the compulsory nature of public transport. Of course, face masks will continue to be mandatory in health and social health centers.
After almost three years of compulsory public transport, which came into force in May 2020, we will say goodbye to one of the latest measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 situation in Spain
According to the latest data, the incidence in people over 60 years of age remains at levels prior to Christmas. With 124.52 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.
In the last seven days, 104 people with a positive diagnostic test have died in our country. According to the hospital bed occupancy ratestands at 2.79 percent and in ICUs at 2.52 percent.
The Canary Islands is the territory with the highest infection rate, with 303 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, so it is at low risk. The rest of the autonomous communities have a cumulative incidence below 250 cases.
In nursing homes, 14 deaths and 923 infections have been recorded. Regarding vaccination, the pace has slowed down and is progressing very slowly. Immunization of children between 5 and 11 years old, which began last year around this time, does not even reach 50% coverage.
Quique Bassatepidemiologist and ICREA researcher at (ISGlobal), explains to this medium that removing masks on public transport is “premature”, but “I understand that the regulations are not being followed well, because although their use is still required, if you you walk through any public service, more than half of the people are not wearing them”.
For this reason, “between having a rule that no one follows or simply freeing ourselves from the latest prevention measure”, the specialist considers that “it may make sense that face masks be removed now, after the Christmas holidays and the peak of the respiratory virus syncytial that has occurred in hospitals”.
The Kraken variant, in the spotlight
Although the end of masks on public transport could be imminent, the epidemiologist points out that he would “wait” to see how the disease behaves. Kraken variant in our country, which is “more infectious than the previous ones, which has already arrived in Spain and which will foreseeably be the dominant one in the coming days.”
The sublineage of the omicron variant, which has aroused concern among experts, could compromise the goodbye to face masks in these public spaces.
Dr. Bassat is committed to “first evaluating how he settles in with us” before “making this decision”. However, “since the general population is well protected and vaccinated, I am not too concerned if it is withdrawn now.”
Kraken was first detected in the US states of New York and Connecticut and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), cases are increasing in Europe and the United States and it has already been identified in 25 countries. It would be the “most transmissible variant to date”, but not for that reason more dangerous.
It is still early to know its severity. The new waves of infection that could occur around the world would not have to translate into new waves of deaths.
Given the withdrawal of masks on public transport, and fully immersed in winter with respiratory viruses circulating, it could be recommended that vulnerable people continue to use them, although the specialist acknowledges that “for it to work, everyone has to wear it ”.
Flu cases saturate emergencies
2023 has begun as we said goodbye: with a ‘tripledemic’ of respiratory diseases (flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19). However, the most prevalent virus is influenza, with a high incidence in the age group over 79 years.
A situation that has caused the emergencies of many Spanish hospitals to be saturated.
According to the Cofares Trends Observatory, between November 1 and January 12, the demand for flu and catarrhal medicines in pharmacies has increased by 35% compared to the same months of the previous year.
And it would be mainly due to the “immune debt” due to the continued use of masks and reinforced protection by SARS-CoV-2, which causes “the system to be weakened and with it a rise in respiratory infections.”