Four elderly people die after outbreak of Covid at nursing home in southern Spain
The Junta de Andalucía has confirmed that there are 22 people infected by both coronavirus and influenza A in the senior citizens' centre, six of whom needed to be hospitalised
Four elderly people have died and 22 have been infected folllowing an outbreak of Covid-19 and influenza A detected in an old people's home in the town of La Algaba in Seville province, according to the Junta de Andalucía's regional ministry of health.
This outbreak of acute respiratory infections in the nursing home has resulted in six of those affected having to be hospitalised, although only one of them now remains in hospital.
The Junta has emphasised that the protocol for action against such acute respiratory infections in residential centres for vulnerable people, in force since July 2023, has been activated, with isolation measures, reinforcement of epidemiological surveillance and coordination with health services.
The regional minister for health, Rocío Hernández, has called on staff working with vulnerable groups such as the elderly to reinforce preventive measures such as the use of masks, while highlighting "the importance of vaccination in senior centres as the most effective measure to avoid morbidity and mortality" due to respiratory diseases.
In her opinion, "the circulation of respiratory viruses usually intensifies in winter, but this year there have even been reports of influenza A infections during the summer, so we must take extreme hygiene measures even before the start of immunisation".
The regional minister stated that this year's vaccination campaign for flu and Covid-19 will be administered jointly to the most vulnerable groups, with progressive application to the rest of the groups at risk in the coming weeks.
Loles López, member of the Andalusian parliament, called for calm and caution and assured that "Covid is still very present, although it is true that much progress has been made in the fight against it in recent years".
