The incidence falls to 919 cases and Health registers 30,615 new infections

The incidence continues to fall and this Friday it falls another 64 points. On Thursday it fell below the 1,000 case barrier, and this Friday it stands at 919.48 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, although it is still above the "very high" level, according to Health criteria. Since Monday, this rate has registered a decrease of more than 500 points, a drop that has been occurring since the last few weeks.

Daily infections also fall and this Friday Health communicates 30,615 new positives. Now, the country is gradually returning to the daily infection data from before the explosion of infections in the last sixth wave, which occurred during the Christmas holidays. The total of those infected amounts to 10,809,222.

But this drop in incidence is not the same in all the autonomous communities. Andalusia is already out of 'very high' risk, according to Health criteria, and is the only region with less than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In addition, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid, Euskadi and La Rioja report incidences of less than a thousand cases. The rest are above the national average. In addition, the new infections are distributed as follows: Catalonia registers 5,762 infections; Valencian Community, 4,563; and Madrid, 4,241.

Hospital pressure continues to drop. This Friday, the percentage of occupancy of beds by COVID patients goes from 8.25% to 7.84%, while occupancy in the ICU also decreases and both are already at 'medium' risk levels, according to the COVID Traffic Light of Health.

288 deceased are added to the official registry of the Ministry, according to its latest update, although they have been warning for days that these figures are higher than normal due to the delay in notification of deaths from previous days by different autonomous communities. In total, 97,998 people have lost their lives to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

How is the epidemic evolving and how are we regarding the 3rd wave?

Evolution of cases and deaths reported, those hospitalized and those admitted to the ICU each day, the variation in last 7 days and the comparison with the peak of the 3rd wave of the pandemic

Source: Ministry of Health

By age groups, people aged 12 to 19 continue to lead the incidence, with 1,370 cases. In contrast, those over 50 years of age are the ones who register a lower rate. People aged 60 to 69 register an incidence of 565 points and are on the verge of returning to 'high' risk, instead of exceeding 'very high'.

Almost 30% of people between 20 and 29 years old already have the booster dose

The third doses continue to be administered, and this Friday almost 30% of people between the ages of 20 and 29 already have this booster vaccine. Meanwhile, 78.7% of people over 40 years of age already have this souvenir injection against COVID-19.

56.8% of children between 5 and 11 years old have received at least one dose, while 13.2% have the complete anti-COVID regimen. Vaccination in this group remains stagnant.

Regarding the complete guideline by age groups: almost 95% of those over 40 years of age have it, compared to 83% of people between 30 and 39 years of age.

Evusheld, the new medicine that reaches where they are not vaccinated

The therapeutic arsenal against COVID-19 continues to grow. Throughout the month of February, Spain will receive 30,000 doses of a new drug, marketed under the name Evusheld and very different from the rest of those that have been used so far against the coronavirus. The novelty is that it does not serve to cure but to prevent the disease in two groups of patients who until now were "sold out" with the vaccines, says Antonio Gutiérrez, doctor of pharmacy and epidemiologist at the Virgen de Valme hospital (Seville).

It refers, on the one hand, to people who do not tolerate the vaccine due to allergies and are at risk of getting sick because they are vulnerable; and on the other, to those to whom the injections do not give them enough antibodies to face the infection. "It covers these two therapeutic gaps," summarizes Eduardo Briz, a member of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy and head of service at the La Fe hospital in Valencia.