New virus surge sends younger patients to Spain's hospitals

After a brief respite that brought their routines back to pre-pandemic norms, managers at the Hospital del Mar in northeastern Spain's Barcelona are facing a sharp rise in infections

BARCELONA, Spain -- Julio Miranda had never felt the threat of the coronavirus too close. With an appointment for his first COVID-19 jab scheduled for mid-July, the 48-year-old house painter was, like many in the vaccine-abundant developed world, eagerly awaiting the end of his personal pandemic worries. Then a colleague fell ill last month, followed by his boss' wife. Gradually, all but one of his five coworkers found themselves in bed. Miranda, who is from Chile, also started feeling stomach cramps. Soon, he was lying on the sofa, struggling to draw every breath. “It's only when the virus hits you that you take it much more seriously,” Miranda said this week from a hospital room overlooking Barcelona's beachfront where he recovered after a week in intensive care, conscious but connected to a machine aiding his oxygen intake. After a brief respite that brought medical activity back to pre-pandemic routines, managers at the Hospital del Mar in this northeastern city are facing a sharp surge in infections by, once again, rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in their sprawling facilities.