Given the increase in cases and the saturation of hospitals due to the 7th wave of coronavirus infections, the Valencia College of Nursing recommends that the mask be used again in closed spaces, where there is a large influx of public and where it is impossible keep the safety distance.
A suggestion that is “aimed at the elderly, but also at the most vulnerable”, according to the presidency of COENV Laura Almudéver, who recalls that the pressure on care in the hospital centers of the Valencian Community “is exponentially greater now than it was just a year”. “In fact, the number of hospitalized from one year to the next has multiplied by six. From 150 people hospitalized for coronavirus at the beginning of July 2021, it has gone to almost 1,000 hospitalized for this respiratory pathology », she added.
The president of the Valencia College of Nursing warns that the Covid cases “confirm that we are in full swing of a new wave. Omicron continues to be the dominant variant, but others are arriving that are highly contagious and that circumvent the immunity of the vaccines and the protection of having had the infection. Proof of this is the latest report released by the Alert Coordination Center of the Ministry of Health, which indicates that while the BA.2 lineage of the Covid is in decline, the BA.4 and BA.5 (with high transmissibility) are they are imposing.”
[The Generalitat Valenciana warns of the “worrying” increase in the coronavirus and requests the use of the mask]
It should also be taken into account that the incidence data “only reflect cases in people over sixty years of age (the vulnerable population) confirmed by antigen tests. Age group that concentrates the majority of hospitalizations, and especially those over eighty years of age, due to their frailty and other associated health problems,” they explain.
Hence, the president of the collegiate entity of Nursing recalls the need to “not lower our guard” and appeals to responsibility to avoid another increase in infections linked to a possible overcrowding of the summer, to the new strains of the virus and its possible mutations. “The relaxation of the measures must be moderate and coordinated with the level of vaccination and herd immunity,” she reiterated.
“If infections continue to increase, Valencian hospitals will have serious difficulties in meeting healthcare needs. Especially, because this increase in cases in the population is also reflected and infections in health personnel. A circumstance that is already putting several regional and coastal departments in trouble because there are no nurses to hire, “says Laura Almudéver.
During the last two years “the COENV has been warning of the danger of virus transmission before each wave of infections, but we were not listened to and finally ended up arriving with the largest number of infected and deceased.” The president of the Valencian nurses considers that “professionals have the best indicator to detect the incidence of virus transmission, due to their direct contact with the sick” but appeals to the “social and individual commitment posture of the population to prevent infections and deaths increase.
Thus, COENV urges the Administrations to “increase the frequency of public transport schedules to the maximum to avoid crowds, guaranteeing adequate ventilation, as well as compliance by the population with preventive measures.”
[Pedro Cavadas’ notice on the use of masks, the new variants of covid and vaccines]
Also remember that the mask has prevented many respiratory infections and there is a danger that other viruses such as the flu will proliferate. That is why it advises regulating the restrictions on acts “depending on hospital saturation and in Primary Care. Taking into account the occupancy rate of the Intensive Care Units (ICU) of each of the hospitals in the Valencian Community and the availability of human and material resources that would be available to face another wave ».
Specifically, the use of the mask, together with the rest of the security measures adopted to avoid contagion by Covid-19 (mask, social distance, hand hygiene and ventilation), have brought about a significant reduction in the number of cases of other types of diseases that are transmitted by the respiratory route.
Thus, significantly, during the years 2020 and 2021, a considerable reduction can be seen in the number of diseases such as influenza, mumps, whooping cough or chicken pox, as reflected in the data from the Epidemiology service of the Directorate General Public Health of the Ministry of Health. In addition, measles disappears and no case has been detected during the past year.
