Covid cases are rising in the coastal city
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A doctor has urged UK tourists to be aware of the “new flu” in Malaga this summer season (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
A doctor has urged UK tourists to be vigilant after Covid cases spiked at a Spanish hotspot adored by Brits.
The ‘XFG’ variant, otherwise known as “the new flu,” has reportedly surged in Malaga recently.
While most of us will associate the flu with the winter months, air conditioning is considered to be one way germs can be spread during the warmer months.
This can especially apply in somewhere like Spain at this time of the year as the climate is decently hot.
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An owner of a pharmacy in the capital, Asunción Pérez de la Masa, spoke to Diario Sur: “COVID tests are selling out again. We’re noticing this throughout the month of August.”
She added how important it was that those who care for elderly people take tests regularly.
José Antonio Trujillo, a family doctor and vice president of the College of Physicians, went on to share why summer Covid is spreading.
Referring to the “new flu,” he said the hot weather means that people gather inside with air conditioning and close doors to maintain the temperature, but incidents increase because air conditioning “increases transmission.”
Sources consulted by the Málaga Medical Association confirmed “the incidence is on the rise”, reports Diario Sur.
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This variant is believed to be mild compared to past peaks, and currently, there is no suggestion that coronavirus cases are accompanied by serious symptoms.
The vaccines administered to Malaga residents in the previous vaccination campaign are thought to protect against the current COVID variant, the Express reported.
In the UK, the Spring COVID-19 vaccination period has ended, and the NHS will contact people later this year if they are eligible for the winter COVID-19 vaccine.
It is usually offered on the NHS in spring and early winter to people who need extra protection from COVID-19, for those who are aged 75 or over, aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment, or live in a care home for older adults.