Spain is experiencing a new wave of COVID-19, primarily fueled by the Eris variant (EG.5), accounting for over 30% of global cases, as the PSOE-Podemos government declares the end of the health crisis.

Scientists worldwide have raised concerns about the emergence of a new COVID-19 called Pirola, which was first detected in Israel and sequenced in three other countries, indicating global spread. Spain has yet to be detected, and understanding the true spread is challenging due to dismantled monitoring measures.

The government stopped issuing the report with the indicators of the evolution of the pandemic and monitoring its incidence on July 4, two months after the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Biden administration in the US ended their COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declarations. This signaled the total collapse of the pandemic surveillance systems globally.

The only way to monitor the evolution of the virus in Spain is now the Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System (SiVIRA) led by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) that records the number of affected people who are treated in primary and hospital care along with other diseases such as influenza.

The latest report from SiVIRA shows that the rate of COVID-19 identified in primary care has increased significantly from 29.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on July 2 to 88 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in August 6.

In the same period, the rate of hospitalizations has gone from 0.6 to 2.04 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, although it has fluctuated. The percentage of positivity to SARS-CoV-2 stands at 32 percent in the last week, when a month ago it was at 24 percent.

Moreover, COVID infections in Spain are rapidly increasing, with the sale of antigen tests reaching a 174% increase from the end of June. The increase is multicausal, with the new variant not yet sequenced in Spain, the withdrawal of healthcare alarms, masks, and the unconcerned attitude of the population contributing to the rise. Hospitalizations are increasing, with Catalonia having 453 hospitalized, Basque having 124, and Galicia having over 70 patients admitted. The new spread of the virus will lead to longer Covid cases and its debilitating impact, with almost two million suffering from Long COVID in Spain. Only 15.6% of those affected by Long COVID work "under normal conditions," compared to 46.6% who are on sick leave or work "with great difficulty." 9.5% of those surveyed lost their job, and only 2.9% have achieved permanent disability status. This serious problem will continue to spread as infections grow. Countries like the United States, Italy, South Korea, and Japan are also experiencing an increase in COVID cases similar to Spain due to the passivity of capitalist governments and the complicit silence of the media.