Surge of viral infections in Malaga province: 'The summer coronavirus is the new flu'
Health experts have confirmed a spike in Covid-19 cases and point to air conditioning as the cause, although they stress that the symptoms are mild
Sun, beach and coronavirus infections. If the first two are inseparable from summer in the province of Malaga, the latter is making its presence felt with sneezing patients with sore throats and general discomfort filling hospital and health centre waiting rooms these last few days. At the moment, it is likely that someone near you is suffering from a viral infection. SUR has spoken to local doctors and healthcare professionals who have confirmed a clear upward trend in cases of coronavirus and the flu.
Feeling the cold and longing for a blanket to keep warm in August is the first symptom. From there, it is only one step to the pharmacy. That is what many people in Malaga are doing. "The tests to detect the coronavirus are selling out again. We have been noticing this throughout the month of August," said Asunción Pérez de la Masa, owner of a pharmacy in the city. "It is recommended, above all, for those who have elderly people in their care," she added.
Routine
The coronavirus and the corresponding tests no longer generate the expectation that they used to during the pandemic, when the waiting time for certainty generated true anxiety in some people. This also explains how, in recent times, Covid-19 has become normalised to the point where it has become a viral incidence that is now part of society's routine. "The coronavirus of the summer is the new flu," said a GP with many years of experience who works at Hospital Regional.
Given that the summer is mostly spent outdoors, the question arises as to how cases of a respiratory virus can increase. GP and deputy director of the college of doctors José Antonio Trujillo said: "With the hot weather, people gather more in places where there is air conditioning. We close the doors to keep the cold in, but air conditioning increases transmission."
According to Malaga medical association sources, "incidence is on the rise", although patients recover favourably and quickly. In any case, it should be noted that the incidence is slight compared to other peaks in the past. The currently circulating variant of the coronavirus is called 'XFG'.
Update
The regional ministry of health in Andalucía is currently updating its figures. The fair in Malaga city is seen as a social event that could have catapulted the number of infections. At the moment, there is nothing to suggest that coronavirus cases are accompanied by serious symptoms.
The same sources point out that the vaccines administered to the people of Malaga in the previous vaccination campaign protect against the current variant of the virus. Covid-19 is only a vague reminder of what it once was.
