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Mendioroz (ASPCAT) believes that it has improved «significantly» before possible new pandemics
Barcelona, 22 (Europa Press)
The medical director of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Antoni Castells, has stated that the coronavirus pandemic was a «lesson in humility» for everyone and showed that humans are vulnerable, although it also allowed us to see the capacity for collaboration and cooperation of society.
On February 25, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 on the peninsula was diagnosed at the clinic, following a first case in La Gomera (Canary Islands); The next day, the hospital was in its crisis committee, which Castells had the «sad honor» of presiding over, he explains in statements to Europa Press.
This first case was treated «as if it were the most infectious in the world», but a few months later they hadn’t admitted it, and they have assured that no one could have imagined that things would be so complicated: between March 2020 and June 2023, 21,239 people died of Covid-19 in Catalonia, according to available data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (SIVIES).
Five years later, Castells has considered that the response was correct and that brave decisions were made at that time, but when asked if they were prepared for a pandemic, the answer is unequivocal: «no».
Initial response
The deputy director general of epidemiological surveillance and response to alerts and emergencies of the Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT), Jacobo Mendioroz, understands that the response was adequate considering that the system was prepared for more common contingencies.
It cannot be exceeded «excessively», he explained: it is still public money to prepare for a situation that occurs once a century and that respiratory equipment cannot be maintained for 100 years, for example.
The main learning from the pandemic, according to Mendioroz, was learning to manage the escalation and increase the capacity to cope with «completely new» situations in very short periods of time, maintaining the balance of the system during normal situations.
Lack of communication
Mendioroz has stated that the communicative and social aspects of the pandemic were «very complex» to address and were not completely resolved, especially to reach vulnerable communities and gain the trust of the population, so it must be more explanatory, clear, and empathetic.
Castells has affirmed that there were even contradictory messages and believes that, probably, a fairly drawn, directed, and unequivocal communication would have helped; His task, he recalled, was to reconcile the existence of Covid-19 that continued to harm with the desire of many people to return to «normality».
A new pandemic
Castells has pointed out that perhaps the effectiveness of the measures taken and the issue of transmission between countries or the closure of airspace, for example.
Nevertheless, faced with a new pandemic, new contingency plans have been developed according to the magnitude, the system has been sized, and it is known which rooms can be used as ICU, as well as the acquired material, the acquired material has been maintained and cataloged, Castells explained.
Mendioroz adds that the systems of epidemiological surveillance have improved «significantly» doctors
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