Travel insurance updates re CoronaVirus in Spain

THE CORONAVIRUS IN SPAIN

HEALTH AND TRAVEL INSURANCE IN SPAIN FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.

THE CORONAVIRUS AND INSURANCE IN SPAIN.

The Ministry of Health in Spain has updated the information to the general public on the Coronavirus. 2019-n-CoV.

There has been an alarming increase in the number of Coronavirus cases in Wuhan, China, where the Virus, reportedly originated in a local fish and meat market in December 2019.

The Coronavirus has now spread to neighbouring countries and China has taken the drastic step of restricting movement in some major towns and cities in China. With the Chinese New Year on the 25^th January, with millions of Chinese people expected to be on the move for the New Year Holiday, travel and holiday plans have been severely disrupted.

Face Masks have virtually run out and the hospitals are under intense pressure as more and more cases are discovered on a daily basis.

WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS.

The Coronavirus is very much like a Flu, some say similar to the Spanish flu (SARS) the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Epidemic in 2002, which infected over 9000 people and 774 died. The (MERS) Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus was in 2012 which was reported in 24 countries with over 1,000 cases reported and over 400 deaths.

The current Coronavirus strain, named 2019n-CoV, was not initially thought to be transmitted to humans, and would only affect, and be transmitted between animals.

The Coronavirus can now be transmitted from human to human. How it is transmitted is being investigated by teams of Scientists around the world.

IS THE CORONAVIRUS INFECTIOUS?

Yes. It can now be transmitted from human to human and we are all advised to avoid contact with anyone that is coughing, sneezing, has a high temperature and shows any signs similar to Flu.

Like all Flu and similar diseases that are transmitted by human contact, the best way to avoid any infection is to avoid contact with other humans. If you are out and about in crowded areas, wearing a face mask may help. You can buy the conventional paper face masks in most Spanish Pharmacies and getting one now may save disappointment in the future.

WILL MY SPANISH HEALTH INSURANCE COVER TREATMENTS FOR CORONAVIRUS IN SPAIN?

According to a spokesperson from ASSSA Health insurance in Spain, a company that deals with Health Insurance products for the Expat community in Spain, they will cover any treatments for contact with or symptoms of the Coronavirus or similar symptoms for Flu.

Once the World Health Organisation deems this Coronavirus as an Epidemic, then local governments take over and provide all medical treatment in a bid to stop the disease for spreading. This then becomes and

FLU VACCINE AND THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS IN SPAIN.

The winter period in Spain always brings an increase in Flu and Flu like symptoms and Spain tries hard each year to ensure that most people, particularly the young and elderly, are immunised against Flu.

Now would be a good time to get a Flu injection to immunise yourself or at least perhaps help protect you from infection. It is not known if the current Flu vaccine does help to immunise you against the Coronavirus. It wouldn’t hurt to get it done.

If you have a Flu or cold and have been travelling through or in China or any of the other Asian countries in the past two weeks, and if you are feeling a bit run down and have a fever, get it checked.

INFECTIOUS CORONAVIRUS – PRECAUTIONS.

As has been seen in the past, when viruses with symptoms of Flu that originate from animals and later discovered can be transmitted from human to human, the World Health Organisation takes emergency steps to investigate the origins, how it is transmitted and set about finding a way to protect humans against it as quickly as possible.

With millions of people on the move, not just in China, but adding to the problem is the fact that this has come about just before the Chinese New Year celebrations where millions of people travel to huge public celebrations, you can imagine the scale of operations to try and contain any spreading of the Virus.

Airports in nearby provinces and Asian countries are monitoring the Coronavirus as closely as possible with thermal cameras being placed in areas, such as train stations, airports and places where people congregate to travel. Reports confirm that there is already a case of Coronavirus in the United States of America.