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Spain is one of the most affected countries in the world by covid-19: more than 216,000 cases have been confirmed, of which at least 25,100 people have died. Most of the deaths occurred in the Madrid metropolitan area, followed by Catalonia and Castilla-La Mancha.
It was horrible. A disaster With all the people who have died, but also a crisis for the economy, for society and culture throughout the country, says Julio Mayol by phone from his home in Madrid.
He is the medical director at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital, where almost 310 people have died in the covid-19 suites in recent months. When DN spoke to Julio Mayol in late March, 700 from the hospital used a total of 800 care centers to care for patients with the disease and saw signs that the situation was about to worsen.
The days after that call, Spain reached the highest daily figures for the number of new cases and deaths. Then the curve turned downward. On Sunday, the lowest single-day death rate since March 18, 163 deaths were reported. And at the San Carlos Clinic, the number of admitted greedy patients has been reduced to between 220 and 230.
– The descent was great. This morning I attended a video meeting with all the hospitals in Madrid, and the situation is similar in all of them. Many of the patients who stay with us have been in bed for a long time and need more help to recover, says Julio Mayol.
Julio Mayol together with two colleagues from the Hospital Clinico San Carlos in Madrid.
Photo: Private
The hospital is currently divided into two separate parts. One where patients with covid-19 are cared for and another where other patients with acute conditions are admitted.
– It is a relief that the number of deaths in covid-19 is now lower. But the crisis also creates other problems. Now, after two months where he has had to expect a lot of care from other patients, more and more people will need to be admitted to receive care. Doing it safely is a big challenge.
16 percent of the workforce at the San Carlos Clinic he has tested positive for covid-19 and therefore cannot work. Fortunately, no one on staff has died, says Julio Mayol.
It would have been incredibly difficult to handle. We have offered psychological support to employees and we must continue that. For many, the next few months will be difficult. When you are in the midst of disaster, there is an increase in stress, a desire to help. So we don’t think about our families, our worries and our fears, says Julio Mayol and continues:
– But now we will have more time to reflect on what we have seen and the friends and family that we have lost. It will affect us all.
When Spain, on April 13, By allowing more socially important occupational groups to return to their workplaces, Julio Mayol and his colleagues feared that greedy falls could rapidly increase again. However, that increase did not occur, at least in his hospital. However, it is concerned that the epidemic will pick up again as the country has begun a gradual reopening of society.
“I am afraid that this virus is producing the worst in us,” says Julio Mayol.
Photo: Private
Strict restrictions still apply, but on Saturday Spaniards were allowed to exercise outside for a few hours in the morning and at night. Julio Mayol says that today he saw larger groups of twenty people pedaling together through the streets of the capital.
– We are concerned that people do not maintain social distance, especially in good weather. We cannot act in the same way that Sweden is doing at the moment. When choosing a strategy, you must stick to it. But we should expect people to show common sense, says Julio Mayol.
Are you ready for a possible second or third wave of the epidemic?
– Yes, we are preparing for several different scenarios. One of them is that we receive a critical wave from many other patients who need emergency care. Another is that a new wave of patients arrives at covid-19. Then we must be flexible and adapt quickly to receive many people who need intensive care.
How have your vision of Spanish society affected these last months?
– This affects our entire culture. I’m afraid this virus brings out the worst in us. That will make us suspicious of our neighbors and friends. Not only in the country, but also against other people from countries like Italy or China. This scares me the most: how this virus will harm our communities for a long time.
