Covid hospitalizations falls below 1,000 for first time since April

The number of patients in hospital due to Covid-19 has fallen below 1,000 for the first time since April. 

As per the latest figures provided by Catalan health authorities, updated on this website every Tuesday, 758 people were hospitalized due to the virus in Catalonia in the period of August 8-14. There were also 26 people in intensive care units, 7 fewer than the previous week's data. 

A further 22 passed away from Covid-19 in the second week of August as well; 40 fewer than the previous week, when 62 people died from the virus. 

The number of newly confirmed cases is also still dropping. A further 3,769 cases were confirmed, significantly down from the 5,864 positive cases the week before.

4th vaccine dose for over 80s

People over the age of 80 are expected to be offered a second Covid-19 booster vaccine – the fourth dose overall – by the second half of September. 

Spain’s health minister Carolina Darias said in July that if the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approves new vaccines adapted to the omicron variant soon, then the doses would be ready to be delivered in the first half of September and ready to be given to people by the latter half of the month. 

First, it will be offered to the over 80s, before then being offered to care home residents and those over 60, who could receive the dose before the end of the year.

One of the vaccines that could be given in addition to Pfizer and Moderna would be the Catalan-produced Hipra jab if it gets authorization from the EMA. 

Preliminary results of the first phase of a clinical trial of the Hipra vaccine involving 700 people in 10 different Spanish hospitals showed that the jab generates more antibodies than other vaccines already approved, such as Pfizer's shot against coronavirus. The vaccine, however, is only used as a booster shot.