Coronavirus Spain

OK, so here I am at home, tapping away at my laptop keyboard a few days or so into the state-imposed nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus in Spain. Since this unprecedented and large-scale health scare - I refuse to use the word crisis - would otherwise be the (wheezing) elephant in the room, it would be remiss of me not to write about it on the VIVA blog.

Before we go on, I want to make it clear that my intention in this article is not to give my two cents. Instead of falling into the oh-so easy “opinion trap” of either dismissing it as simply a collective paranoia or, conversely, fueling the fear fire by scaremongering, I wanted to use this article to give some practical information about the different ways you can protect yourself against coronavirus.

First of all, however, it’s time to look at the latest on coronavirus Spain…

The current situation

SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is the strain of virus that leads to the COVID-19 disease; a diagnosis given to a significant number of individuals living in Spain at the time of writing. Despite currently being the second hardest-hit country in Europe after Italy, the authorities are putting tough measures and restrictions in place to limit this number and "flatten the curve" of new cases requiring hospitalisation. This will, in turn, relieve the stress on the healthcare system and control the spread of the virus in the short term.

To combat the contagion, the Spanish Government has now imposed a ban on all unnecessary movement of people in public spaces, while the decision taken two nights ago was to close its EU borders and suspend air travel in and out of Spain for all non-residents and non-essential travel. In essence, only Spaniards or Spanish residents can enter the country to “make it home” from elsewhere in Europe.

Meanwhile, countries within the European Union have begun enforcing another measure to put the brakes on the spread. EU borders closed from midday yesterday for all travel in and out of the European community for a period of 30 days. This follows last week’s announcement by US President Donald Trump to include the UK and Ireland in the cancellation of all trans-Atlantic flights from the States bound for European countries.

New information is being given on an hourly basis, but the facts and figures stated above were correct at the time of writing.

Our top recommendations

Now you’re up-to-date with the latest coronavirus Spain news, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. The useful stuff. What can you do to minimise your chances of coming into contact with the virus?

1. Take the basic precautions

First thing’s first - and I know you’ve probably heard this a thousand times already - you should take all the bog-standard precautions you’ve been told about from day one.

The official World Health Organisation (WHO) website¹ outlines what you could call its minimal preventative standards for global citizens. These include:

Washing your hands regularly - Certainly with soap and water, but preferably with an alcohol-based rub, gel or hand sanitiser. Do this more often than you normally would or after coming into contact with foreign objects like door handles and elevator buttons, for example, or after driving.
Try to avoid touching your face - Difficult, if not impossible, I know. Try to resist the urge to touch your eyes, nose and mouth where possible - especially after touching different surfaces in your home and elsewhere - as these are the entry points for the transfer of the virus into your body.
Separate your indoor and outdoor footwear - Although experts haven’t unanimously agreed on this and despite the Director of the Centre for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies of the Ministry of Health, Fernando Simón, snubbing the practice publicly, there’s evidence to suggest that it is a good idea. Supposedly, the coronavirus survives for longer on hard surfaces such as flooring, pedestrian walkways and asphalt - some estimates say up to nine days - compared to other materials, so traipsing around your home with outdoor shoes on could mean bringing it into your home. To combat this problem, you might want to designate one pair of shoes for wearing outside the house, take them off at the door and change into your slippers immediately when you return home.
Maintain social distancing - The WHO recommends putting at least one metre between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing as the most basic precaution. However, the evolution of coronavirus in Spain has been such that this distance has been extended to either two or three metres, depending on where you get your information from. Of course, this should no longer be so critical now that the Spanish Government has ordered people to stay in their homes and avoid public gatherings for the next 15 days (unless going to the shops or pharmacy is absolutely necessary), but is nevertheless one of the most important measures you can take. Which brings me on to my next point…

2. Abide by the rules

Again, this sounds obvious, but you must follow the local, regional or national guidelines regarding coronavirus; including the latest restrictions to travel, public congregations, use of community facilities and undertaking of work activities.

Measures taken by the Spanish Government, which evidently also apply to expats living or staying on the Costa del Sol, include:

Prohibiting all non-essential journeys - Yes, there are big signs up on highways warning against the use of Spain’s roads for anything other than going to the nearest supermarket or pharmacy or for any other urgent engagement, as well as roadblocks in certain areas. This ban extends to walking and cycling in public spaces, too, for which you can be slapped with a fine of between (bizarrely) €601 and €30,000!
Banning of social gatherings, even at home - This falls under the same kind of restriction as above for coronavirus Spain. Not only can you not use public spaces to congregate, but this now extends to private domicilies. Popping over to see your neighbour, sneaking round your mate’s house for a birthday celebration with a few friends or having your one-hour private yoga class are all, as of last Friday 13th March, sanctionable offences under the Royal Decree of the State of Alert (Real Decreto de Estado de Alarma), so be very careful!
Temporary closure (for the next 15 days at least - if not longer) of schools and universities, as well as all types of businesses including bars, restaurants, shops and offices.

On this point, I’d like to point out that VIVA takes its responsibility to its staff and clients extremely seriously and thus is following the Spanish Government’s instructions to the letter on office closure and working from home.

3. Self-isolation

If you believe you are showing symptoms, the first thing you should do is self-isolate at home. This means avoiding contact with anyone for a period of up to 14 days. Only if your symptoms worsen (fever, excessive coughing, respiratory issues) should you seek medical attention, since testing kits are still in short supply and hospitals are feeling the strain.

Remember, there is a fine line between running straight to the medical centre and ignoring the tell-tale signs of an illness that could develop into something more serious. Your overall health, age and any history of respiratory problems will determine how susceptible you are to contracting the virus, although not believing yourself to be in a high risk category should not be an excuse for not taking the prescribed measures, either.

If you have arrived in Spain from a higher risk country such as Italy within the last two weeks, you should also self-impose this measure. Regardless of whether you feel poorly, you may unwittingly be a carrier of the virus and risk spreading it upon arrival in Spain. Once again, this is where the government’s restriction of movement in public places and “stay at home” campaign should negate the risk, but it’s worth being diligent in any case.

4. Don’t take anti-inflammatories

It has emerged over the last few days that COVID-19 cases are exacerbated when the patient self-medicates using anti-inflammatories - namely ibuprofen and cortisone - to deal with early symptoms.

Doctors across Europe have observed that young patients with no underlying health problems who used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen in the early stages of their illness went on to develop more serious symptoms.

The message is that anti-inflammatories aggravate the infection, whereas paracetamol, for example, helps to lower fever whilst not giving the same side-effects. Hence, if in doubt, paracetamol should be your go-to non-prescription drug. However, before considering taking any medication whatsoever, we strongly advise you contact a healthcare professional to give you the correct guidance.

Coronavirus UK

Not far behind Spain

Social distancing, non-essential travel, employees being sent home from work, imminent closure of pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, theatres, cinemas... it's quite a familiar tale. It's no secret that the UK is a week or so behind mainland Europe in terms of the implementation of coronavirus measures, so this post is (I hope!) a useful point of reference for people in the UK in the days to come, too.

Wherever you are and however the coronavirus affects you, be strong, stick to the rules, and, above all, be patient.

This will pass and you can get back to your yoga classes, house parties and offices - although not necessarily in that order - soon enough.