By Alyssa McMurtry
OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – Spain has now more confirmed cases of the coronavirus than that in Italy, with the total number of infections hitting 117,710, according to data released by the country’s Health Ministry on Friday.
With this figure, Spain has also become the European country with the most confirmed cases of the virus, known as COVID-19.
According to the ministry, 932 more peopled died due to the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 10,935.
According to the government, new infections have stabilized in the country, but data revealed the rate of new confirmed cases has been significantly higher in Spain than that in Italy over the last week.
Yet, in some of the hardest-hit regions, such as Madrid, the pressure is easing off hospital emergency rooms.
In total, 56,637 people have been hospitalized for COVID-19.
The major burden has shifted to the country’s intensive care units (ICUs). More than 6,000 people have been admitted to ICUs in total – over 2,000 new patients in the last week.
On average, patients stay in intensive care for three weeks, but stays can last much longer.
“What we’re most worried about is reducing the mortality. Now that’s high because of the collapse we currently have in the ICUs,” Paula Farias, a coordinator of Doctors without Borders (MSF), which has begun to work in Spain, told Spanish news program La Sexta.
“Most importantly we need more human resources, but you can’t improvise an ICU doctor.”
Spain’s mortality rate is currently 9% – one of the highest in the world.
Data released by Spain’s Ministry of Health on Monday showed that 5,775 people above the age of 80 years were hospitalized for COVID-19, only 78 of them were admitted to ICUs and nearly 2,000 of them died.
Spain also reports the highest proportion of infected healthcare workers in the world. Over 15,000 have tested positive for the disease, the government confirmed on Thursday.
