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Friday, 18 October 2024, 18:35
A document drawn up by experts at the Spanish and regional ministries of health with recommended measures to prevent the spread of flu and Covid has been caught up in political disagreements between central and regional governments.
The plan, which was due to recommend the use of face masks in certain high-risk situations, was not approved as expected on Thursday at a meeting attended by national and regional ministers who could not reach an agreement.
The regions governed by the conservative Partido Popular, in opposition in the national government, described the document as "not developed" and "improvised", despite the fact that their own experts at lower levels had helped work on it.
A new meeting has been set for November.
Spain's ministry of health and regional authorities had reviewed the new document with protective measures for the flu season and Covid in which the use of face masks for certain risk situations is contemplated. The document established common criteria for action on respiratory viruses based on indicators such as risk of transmission, severity of disease, incidence rate and hospitalisation rate, ICU admission and case fatality.
Thus, the document established that health workers, patients and their companions should wear masks in waiting rooms of health centres and hospital emergency rooms when the levels of transmission of acute respiratory infections (such as influenza or Covid-19) are considered high, according to ABC.
The health proposal established four scenarios based mainly on data from the surveillance system for acute respiratory infections in Spain (Sivira). In scenario 0 the risk is "inter-epidemic or baseline", in scenario 1 the transmissibility is low or moderate, in scenario 2 it is high and in scenario 3 the level of transmission of respiratory infections is very high or even "pandemic".
Recommendation of face masks in healthcare facilities or for people with symptoms, reduction of contacts or remote working are envisaged in scenario 1.
In 2, the experts extend the recommendation of face mask use to vulnerable people in supermarkets, shops or public transport, as well as in cinemas, theatres, concert halls, gyms, dance halls or large outdoor events, and also to people "whose occupations bring them into extensive face-to-face contact with the public".
At level 3, the authority will consider reinforcing coordination between the different territories by convening an extraordinary plenary session of the interterritorial council and adopting "additional and exceptional measures".
At the previous meeting of the council last week, the minister of health, Mónica García, opened the door to the return of face masks. "The tools and measures we have against respiratory viruses are vaccination, hygiene, masks and containment measures, there is not much more," she said.
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