The pressure due to covid returns to the CAPs in Catalonia

Catalonia has registered in the last 7 days more than 2,200 daily infections of SARS-CoV-2, double than two weeks ago, and mortality continues to increase slowly with an average of six deaths a day, in a sixth wave that already exceeds the risk of regrowth on the fourth and continues to grow, although with milder cases.

According to the incidence data updated this Tuesday by the Department of Health, today there are 795 hospitalized with covid, 47 more than yesterday, of which 175, six less than yesterday, are seriously ill in the ICU, 95 of them intubated and 6 connected to the ECMO (extracorporeal respiration), with which the critical units return to the situation in which they were at the end of September.

The deaths from covid since the beginning of the epidemic are already 24,162, four reported in the last 24 hours, while in the last seven days there have been 40 deaths from the disease, an average of almost six a day.

The primary care centers (CAP) treated 3,307 covid patients yesterday, a holiday Monday, a thousand more than on Sunday last week, a pressure on outpatient clinics that continues to increase and has not been registered since the beginning of August.

The risk of regrowth (EPG), an index that measures the growth potential of the epidemic, continues to rise considerably and stands at 452 points, 28 more than yesterday, well above the 384 that was the maximum in the fourth wave last April 12th.

The virus spread speed (Rt) in Catalonia today is 1.30, one hundredth more than yesterday, which means that every 100 infected infect an average of 130 people and that the community transmission of the virus continues.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, a total of 1,059,363 people have been diagnosed with covid-19 by all kinds of tests in Catalonia, 1,620 of them counted in the last 24 hours, while in the last week 15,916 have been diagnosed by PCR or antigen test (TA), an average of 2,273 per day that had not occurred since the week of August 3.

The cumulative incidence of cases confirmed by PCR or 7-day antigen test per 100,000 inhabitants (IA7) is 204 cases, eleven more than yesterday, while the cumulative incidence at 14 days (IA14) stands at 354 cases, 18 more.

The positivity -the percentage of CRP and TA with a positive result- is 7.37%, fifteen hundredths more than yesterday, a sustained growth for weeks that is far from the maximum percentage established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for consider an epidemic under control, which is 5%.

The average age of those newly infected by covid continues to decline and stands at 36.6 years, with 51.2% of women.

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By regions, those with the highest risk of regrowth today are Terra Alta (1,304), Noguera (1,189), Pallars Jussà (971) and Ripollès (925), while Barcelonès, the most populated, has today an EPG of 362 points, seventeen more than yesterday, a cumulative 7-day incidence of 155 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, ten more than yesterday, and a Rt of 1.32, two hundredths less.

By municipalities, those with the worst EPG are Castellar del Vallès (2,370), Sitges (1,441), Balaguer (1,284) and Olot (1,102), while in the city of Barcelona the EPG index is today 372 points, thirteen more than yesterday, with an IA7 of 162 cases, eleven more, and an Rt of 1.28, four hundredths less.